Selection of 100 Outstanding R&D Achievements This Year Including Cenobamate

[Asia Economy Reporter Junho Hwang] The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation and Planning announced the selection of the 'Top 100 National R&D Achievements of 2020' on the 29th.

The government selects outstanding achievements to raise public interest in the role of science and technology in driving national development.

This year, approximately 70,000 government-supported research and development (R&D) projects (based on last year) were reviewed, and 100 outstanding achievements were selected. Among these, the top achievements were chosen as 12 in total, with 2 from each of the 6 major fields.

In the life and marine fields, the top achievement was SK Biopharm's development of 'Cenobamate,' which secured FDA approval in the United States and a technology export contract in Europe.

In the information and electronics field, the development of the intelligent software 'Doctor Answer,' which utilizes 'various medical data' (Lee Junyoung, National IT Industry Promotion Agency), was selected as the top achievement.

This year, the government also selected achievements that resonate with the public. Among health-related social issues, the achievement addressing degenerative brain and neurological diseases was 'Fear memories in my head disappear through visual stimuli' (Shin Heeseop, Institute for Basic Science). This research scientifically proved the effectiveness of psychological therapy by discovering a new brain circuit that treats trauma.

Kim Seongsu, Director of the Science and Technology Innovation Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "We plan to continuously expand the national R&D budget so that science and technology can become central to solving our country's social problems, and we will also make greater efforts in communication and promotion of achievements so that the public can feel the impact."