The research and development ecosystem that was damaged in the previous administration will go beyond restoration, and investment and support will be significantly strengthened. We must now focus on what we will create in that environment and how we will solve problems.
Minister Bae Kyung-hun of the Ministry of Science and ICT said this during a meeting with researchers, corporations, and students held on the 13th at the Semiconductor Research Institute at Seoul National University in Gwanak-gu, Seoul. Minister Bae noted, "We will recover fundamental science, which was greatly damaged by cuts to the research budget and the abolition of research projects, and create an environment where domestic talent can focus on research in Korea rather than going abroad."
This meeting was organized to gather field opinions for the "Research and Development Ecosystem Innovation Plan (tentative)" scheduled to be announced in September. The Minister engaged in discussions in a way that involved researchers, corporations, and students seeking solutions. The Ministry of Science and ICT has formed a private advisory group and has been holding more than 20 meetings over the past month to listen to various voices.
At the meeting, suggestions poured in, including expanding government R&D investment, promoting creative research, and revitalizing technology commercialization.
Chae Jin-woong, a senior researcher at the Quantum Technology Research Institute of the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science, who attended the event, said, "The research was halted due to project cancellations or budget cuts, which harmed the entire team," and called for institutional measures to prevent recurrence. In response, Minister Bae said, "We have strengthened R&D investment and secured the budget as much as possible, and such incidents will never happen again."
Professor Lee Hak-yeon of the Department of Industrial Engineering at Seoul Tech said, "Although the budget has been restored, the absolute number of projects is insufficient, making it difficult to feel the impact on the ground," and pointed out, "The scope of the support has shrunk because projects that were given to 10 research teams are now concentrated on one team." Dosaeng-gil, head of the development team at YoulChon Chemical, stated, "Industry-academia exchanges are rare, and even those are limited to national project consortiums," urging for a strengthening of practical collaboration.
The need to attract domestic and international talent was also raised. Noh Doo-hyun, CEO of CONNECTEVE and professor of orthopedic surgery at Seoul National University Hospital, said, "We need to attract overseas talent to secure excellent personnel." Minister Bae stated, "We will create an environment where vacant faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and others can research stably to attract overseas talent and nurture domestic talent," adding, "We are preparing to expand support for labor costs and research expenses."
Minister Bae noted, "Currently, R&D support is focused on AI and semiconductors, but the scope will gradually expand, and we believe AI can be utilized in all technology fields," adding, "We will announce a plan in September so that universities, research institutes, and corporations can focus on their roles in the national transition led by advanced technology and contribute to the R&D innovation ecosystem."
Meanwhile, Minister Bae urged safety inspections at the laboratory where a battery fire occurred at Seoul National University the previous morning before the meeting. He stated, "The absence of casualties was thanks to the students' quick response," and added, "Recent laboratory accidents have continued, and we will establish safety measures for laboratories by November to ensure a safe research environment."