The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 2nd that it will release 11 additional research and development proposals designated by policy to select projects to support through this year's Deep Tech Challenge Project (DCP).
The research and development proposal designated by policy is a type of project guide that presents research topics deemed necessary for resolution by the government and allows corporations or research institutions to propose solutions.
DCP is a large-scale project-type research and development (R&D) initiative with a high level of technical difficulty, supporting up to 10 billion won, including private investments from venture capital (VC) and others.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups plans to support a total of 20 projects through this year's DCP. Following the release of 23 proposals in April, 11 additional proposals were made public this time. A public recruitment will be conducted for the performing corporations on the 34 proposals to finalize the support targets. The intent is to support research institutions that present solutions to the 34 research topics.
The 11 additional proposals this time have been selected based on a detailed plan by experts, investigating technology demands from VCs, research institutes, corporations, and others in the deep tech field, including artificial intelligence (AI), biotechnology, and semiconductors.
Key proposal contents include developing high-speed laser annealing equipment technology for next-generation semiconductor processes, antibody fusion protein platform technology that can simultaneously treat degenerative brain diseases and control inflammation, and AI-based automatic disassembly technology for electric vehicle battery packs.
Corporations challenging technology development can apply through the Integrated Research Support System (IRIS) by meeting requirements such as project team formation and securing a minimum funding of 2 billion won.
Park Yong-soon, the director of the Technology Innovation Policy Division at the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, said, "Deep tech technology has the potential to elevate national competitiveness beyond the growth of a single corporation and can combine with various technologies to overturn global paradigms. We will focus our policy capabilities to ensure that our SMEs and venture companies, equipped with the right capabilities, are not afraid of failure and continually challenge cutting-edge technologies to lead the world."