Korea to raise R&D budget, enhance global research collaboration

[Courtesy of Ministry of Science and ICT]

The South Korean government has unveiled a blueprint to transform the country into a global hub for international cooperation in science and technology.

The key to this strategy is a significant increase in global research and development (R&D) investment, aiming to raise it to 6-7 percent of the entire R&D budget.

The plan also includes the establishment of relevant legal frameworks and the strengthening of overseas collaboration bases.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced these plans on Wednesday during The 2nd World Congress of Korean Scientists & Engineers held in Seoul.

The policy directions are aimed at bolstering international cooperation in science and technology as geopolitical competition over technological dominance intensifies among major global powers.

The United States has been actively protecting its technological and supply chain interests through legislative measures such as the CHIPS Act of August 2022 and executive orders in the biotech sector.

Concurrently, it has been expanding strategic cooperation with Korea through critical and emerging technology (CET) dialogues.

China, countering U.S.-led technological dominance, is pushing to secure 35 critical technologies. Europe, through the Horizon Europe program, is advancing technology development.

Experts said that the paradigm of value-neutral scientific and technological cooperation is shifting towards strategic alliances and competitive posturing among leading nations.

In this complex international environment, Korea’s comprehensive strategy for global cooperation in science and technology aims to protect and advance the nation’s technological capabilities.

The strategy includes plans for global R&D initiatives, international scientific diplomacy, and support for the overseas expansion of Korean tech firms.

The Korean government plans to expand its global R&D investment significantly, with this year’s investment reaching a record 1.8 trillion won ($1.31 billion), a fourfold increase from last year’s 1.6 percent to 6.8 percent of the total R&D budget. The government intends to maintain this investment level, keeping global R&D at 6-7 percent of the total budget next year.

In addition to increasing investment, the government is also working on legal and structural reforms. This includes drafting the Act on the Promotion of International Cooperation in Science and Technology, which will cover basic matters related to global R&D cooperation, including project selection, evaluation, agreements, and security management, as well as provisions for global R&D special cases.

Currently, international cooperation is only addressed in a limited, declarative manner across various laws, lacking a systematic legal framework for its implementation. Detailed regulations and basic plans will be developed in consultation with relevant ministries.

Moreover, the government plans to transition from small, individual global R&D projects to strategically focused Global R&D Flagship Projects.

In May, the Ministry of Science and ICT selected four projects, including the Boston-Korea Project as the first flagship initiatives. This project, planned during the Korea-U.S. summit in April last year, focuses on advanced biotech R&D. Around 10 more projects are set to be selected later this year.