Ministry of Industry Announces "Plan to Innovate Industrial Technology R&D System... Establishment of Public-Private TF"

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The government has formed a task force (TF) team to develop a comprehensive innovation plan for the industrial technology research and development (R&D) system.

On the morning of the 20th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held the inaugural meeting of the Industrial Technology R&D TF at The-K Hotel in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, officially commencing the work to devise innovation measures.

The TF aims to overcome the low performance relative to government R&D investment and respond to the changing technological environment of the Fourth Industrial Revolution era.

The TF operates under a co-chair system between the public and private sectors. Na Kyung-hwan, Director of the R&D Strategy Planning Group, and Kim Yong-rae, Director of the Industrial Innovation Growth Office at the Ministry of Industry, serve as co-chairs, with 15 experts from academia, industry, and research institutes participating as members.

By April, the members will gather opinions from various stakeholders through public debates and hearings, and through this process, identify improvement measures for innovation in industrial technology R&D, such as service R&D and open R&D.

The members presented opinions on R&D innovation across various areas related to the industrial technology R&D system, including project formats, evaluation and research methods, and implementation plans.

They emphasized the importance of strengthening planning for projects that converge multiple industries and expanding challenging R&D to move away from safety-oriented R&D. In particular, they urged the government to play an active role in expanding challenging R&D projects like the Alchemist Project.

They also suggested that researchers’ autonomy should be further strengthened through institutional simplification, such as streamlining settlement procedures.

Director Kim Yong-rae stated, "Through the operation of the Innovation TF, we will identify the direction for system reform desired by the field and create a flexible industrial technology R&D system that can reflect market trends in real time based on this."

Director Na Kyung-hwan said, "Innovation in the industrial technology development system is not merely a change in policies and systems but a core strategy for the national industrial technology framework, and we will strengthen the framework in which innovative growth is achieved."

The Ministry of Industry plans to establish innovation measures based on expert opinions collected through this Industrial Technology R&D Innovation TF, public debates, and hearings, and announce the innovation plan within the first half of the year.