The multi-ministry medical device research and development project group will set up a results promotion hall at the 41st Korea International Medical & Hospital Equipment Show (KIMES 2026), to be held at COEX in Seoul from the 19th to the 22nd, and will unveil the achievements of the first-phase research and development project.
The project began in 2020 through cooperation among four ministries: the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministery of Food and Drug Safety. Through last year, a total of 1.2 trillion won (987.6 billion won in state funds and 209.5 billion won from the private sector) was invested to support 467 tasks.
According to the project group, the regulatory approval success rate for first-phase tasks was calculated at 78.4%. Over the past six years, it achieved 573 domestic and overseas approvals (416 domestic and 157 overseas), 91 technology transfers, 333 commercialization cases, and 578.4 billion won in investment attraction.
This promotion hall will center on 11 award-winning products from the "medical device R&D awards." On site, key product demonstrations and exhibits will be held together.
Exhibited products include a multimode optical imaging-based digital pathology device, a brain-dedicated PET system, a cochlear implant device, a mobile hemodialysis machine, a smart electronic endoscope, a wearable heart disease management system, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a low-dose mammography device, and AI-based electrocardiographs and ultrasound systems.
The project group said it has supported the entire process from research planning to patent strategy, nonclinical and clinical stages, and regulatory approvals.
After completing the first phase, the project group launched the follow-up second-phase research and development project. The second phase plans to invest a total of 940.8 billion won over seven years through 2032 (838.3 billion won in state funds and 102.5 billion won from the private sector) to support 322 tasks.
This year, 106 new tasks will be selected with a budget of about 59.3 billion won. Research and development will focus on areas such as software medical devices, medical robots, and next-generation molecular diagnostics.