The Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it would unveil plans for innovation in research and development (R&D) planning, management, and evaluation in the first half of next year. This comes from the judgment that management of R&D projects has not been conducted properly.
On the morning of the 19th, the Ministry of Science and ICT held the 2024 major academic conference comprehensive meeting, inviting over 100 major academic society presidents at the Korean Science and Technology Center in Gangnam, Seoul. The ministry presented its R&D innovation plans during this meeting.
Director Lee Jun-bae introduced the government's R&D innovation plans with four key themes: research stability and predictability, R&D efficiency, and communication with the field. Director Lee pointed out that the reason sufficient results are not being achieved relative to R&D investment is due to the laxity of the systems for planning, management, and evaluation of R&D.
Director Lee noted, "The proportion of substandard conference papers among the foundation's total papers is assessed unofficially to be 19.2% as of 2022." This proportion was 7.7% in 2017.
The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to announce both the innovation plans for the research foundation and the R&D planning, management, and evaluation innovations in the first half of next year. Director Lee stated, "It was confirmed that structural issues like R&D planning and management evaluation need to be boldly resolved," and added, "We will also work to enhance efficiency so that R&D can possess qualitative competitiveness."
The Ministry of Science and ICT stated it would strengthen communication with the academic societies in the science and technology sector present at the meeting to innovate the R&D system.
First Vice Minister Lee Chang-yoon, who participated in the meeting, said, "At this time when domestic and international crises are piling up, it is crucial that we seriously gather wisdom and consideration for the future." He added, "The government will steadfastly strive to seek ways to overcome our current crises with the academic societies, which represent the nation’s best technological expertise and collective intelligence, and to bring about practical changes in the field."