ASTU hosted Dr. Pak Hunkyun, Chief Executive Officer of SOLARINNO Tech-Company, South Korea, who delivered a seminar and demonstrated the company's innovative water treatment (defluoridation) technology. The event, organized by the Office of Internationalization and Partnership, brought together ASTU faculty members, researchers, students, industry partners, and stakeholders from Adama City with a shared interest in sustainable water treatment solutions.

The visit by Dr. Pak was conducted as part of the ongoing collaboration between ASTU and SOLARINNO Tech-Company, following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in October 2025 to strengthen cooperation in research, technology development, and technology transfer. The seminar and technology demonstration marked an important milestone in translating the partnership into practical solutions that address local and national challenges.
During his presentation, Dr. Pak highlighted SOLARINNO’s commitment to developing and adapting technologies “by Ethiopians for Ethiopians,” emphasizing the importance of local capacity building, knowledge transfer, and sustainable technological innovations to improve access to safe drinking water in communities affected by fluoride and total dissolved solids (TDS) contaminations.
Speaking at the event, Dr. Lemma Beressa, Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer of ASTU, underscored the significance of the defluoridation technology in addressing Ethiopia’s water quality challenges. He noted that such innovative technologies have the potential to improve public health and contribute to sustainable development. Dr. Lemma also stressed the importance of strengthening collaboration with SOLARINNO Tech-Company to expand joint research activities, promote innovation, and enhance technology transfer between the two institutions.
The seminar was concluded with a technology demonstration and discussions on future collaborative projects aimed at advancing water treatment solutions and fostering research and innovation partnerships between ASTU and SOLARINNO Tech-Company.