The government will invest more than 200 trillion won in national research and development (R&D) over the next five years. It plans to boost the competitiveness of flagship technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and semiconductors while expanding investment in next-generation technologies including bio, quantum and aerospace, as well as basic research and regional R&D.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said on the 31st that it finalized the Second National R&D Mid- to Long-term Investment Strategy (2026-2030) at the ninth deliberation meeting of the Presidential Advisory Council on Science & Technology.
The strategy is a government research and development investment plan prepared every five years under the Framework Act on Science and Technology. It translates the Sixth Basic Plan for Science and Technology, finalized in June, into budgets and projects, and will be used as the standard for future annual national R&D investment directions and budget allocation and coordination.
The government decided to focus future R&D investment on AI and flagship industries, next-generation technologies, the research ecosystem, and areas that the public can feel. In AI, it will invest in general-purpose AI, physical AI, and AI data center-related technologies. It will expand AI utilization in science and technology, manufacturing and the public sector, with the goal of raising AI competitiveness, currently assessed at fifth in the world, to third. It will also pursue development of next-generation network and security technologies such as 6G and post-quantum cryptography.
In semiconductors, it will push the development of next-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM), PIM, neuromorphic, compound semiconductors, and semiconductors specialized for domestic AI models. It plans to raise the self-sufficiency rate of semiconductor materials, parts and equipment from the current 30% to 50% by 2030. For robots, it will increase the domestic production rate of core components such as reducers, sensors, actuators, grippers and controllers from 41% to 80%, and for next-generation batteries, it will invest in follow-up technologies such as sodium and lithium-sulfur batteries.
Future technologies such as advanced bio, quantum and aerospace will also be key investment targets. The government will expand a research base that combines AI and bio and set a goal to develop three blockbuster new drugs by building a national biofoundry in 2029. In quantum, it will pursue a domestic full-stack quantum computer and a 100-kilometer-class quantum network demonstration, and in space, it will attempt the first domestically led lunar landing by 2030.
In supply chains and energy, it will develop rare-earth substitutes and recycling and extreme material technologies, and shorten material development periods by using AI autonomous laboratories. It will also continue developing energy technologies such as small modular reactors (SMR), fusion demonstration reactors and tandem photovoltaics.
Funds will also be allocated to improve the research ecosystem. For government-funded research institutes, it will abolish the project-based system (PBS) under which personnel costs are secured through winning research projects, and shift to fully supporting personnel costs with contributions by 2030.
For basic research, it will establish a system to invest around 10% of government R&D and introduce block funding for research-centered universities. It will also push the Brain to Korea program to attract 2,000 outstanding overseas talents, and support that connects graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and early-career researchers.
In regional R&D, it will expand the share of autonomous R&D—where local governments directly plan and execute R&D for specialized industries—from the current 4.2% to 15%. It will also establish a new long-term research program to support excellent researchers outside the capital area to conduct research for up to 10 years.
Through this strategy, the government set goals by 2030 of third in the world in AI competitiveness, 50% self-sufficiency in semiconductor materials, parts and equipment, 80% domestic production of core robot components, five institutions among the world's top 100 research institutes, and 50 K-unicorns.
The finalized investment strategy will be reflected sequentially in the medium-term plan for national R&D projects, the following year's investment direction, and the annual R&D budget expenditure limits. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to operate by checking implementation performance and budgets each year and adjusting the implementation plan.
Park In-gyu, head of the Science and Technology Innovation Center, said, "While concentrating investment on megaprojects and next-generation technologies, we will also push for stable investment in basic research, young researchers and regions."