Public Research Equipment Worth 13 Trillion Won, Establishment of 'Anabada' System

Ministry of Science and ICT and Ministry of SMEs and Startups Establish Phase 1 of Management and Utilization System for 88,000 Research Equipment Units

Research equipment at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials. Photo is not directly related to the article.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The government is launching the 'Anabada (Save, Share, Exchange, and Reuse)' campaign to efficiently manage research equipment worth approximately 13.3 trillion won purchased with budget funds.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 3rd that they will establish and operate the first phase of the 'Regional Research Equipment Management and Utilization System (R-ZEUS)' to streamline the management of about 88,000 research equipment items scattered across 17 regions nationwide.

In this regard, approximately 88,000 research equipment items (valued at about 13.3 trillion won) purchased with government research and development (R&D) budgets and other budgets (non-R&D funds, local government and private funds) are installed and utilized in each of the 17 regions nationwide.

Research facilities and equipment purchased with government R&D budgets have been managed throughout their entire lifecycle?from registration to disposal?through the 'Research Facilities and Equipment Integrated Information System (ZEUS)'; however, until now, there has been no information system capable of grasping and managing the overall status of research equipment by region.

An official from the Ministry of Science and ICT explained, "A system has been established that can identify research equipment information purchased not only with government R&D budgets but also with other non-R&D budgets and local government and private funds in each region, enabling active use in regional industrial R&D promotion policies. Through information standardization, data collection items have been unified to resolve the information management asymmetry between central and regional levels, making it meaningful that research equipment information can now be comprehensively collected and utilized by region."

The government plans to enhance the system further to expand information provision functions, including information inquiry, reservation services, collection of equipment information independently established by each local government, and provision of various analysis services.

Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT, stated, "Research facilities and equipment are essential infrastructure that must be maintained at the world’s highest level through cooperation between local and central governments as core resources for scientific and technological advancement. Through the establishment of a user-centered 'Regional Research Equipment Management and Utilization System' that shares and jointly utilizes research equipment information held within regions by local governments and the government, we will improve the investment efficiency of R&D budgets and research productivity."