Ministry of SMEs and Startups Gyeongnam Regional Office Supports Research Personnel for Small Businesses

Up to 50% of the annual salary for newly hired research personnel for a maximum of 3 years

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Song Jong-gu] The Gyeongnam Small and Medium Business Administration under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups is recruiting small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to participate in the ‘2023 SME Research Personnel Support Project’ until March 7.

This project supports professional research personnel with bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees in science and engineering to strengthen the R&D capabilities of SMEs. The support methods are divided into ‘employment support’ and ‘dispatch support of professional research personnel from public research institutes.’

Under employment support, when an SME hires research personnel with bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees in science and engineering, the government supports 50% of the research personnel’s annual salary for up to three years. Under dispatch support, professional research personnel from public research institutes such as the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute are dispatched to SMEs to transfer technical know-how and resolve technical difficulties, with the government supporting 50% of the dispatched personnel’s annual salary for up to six years.

Gyeongnam Small and Medium Business Administration.

In particular, support scale will be expanded for small and medium enterprises in the materials, parts, and equipment (SoBuJang) sector, and SMEs in advanced industrial fields and those newly hired after the announcement date will be given preferential treatment during selection, thus prioritizing strategic sectors and SMEs that create employment.

The eligible applicants are SMEs that have a ‘company-affiliated research institute’ or ‘dedicated R&D department’ under the ‘Act on Promotion of Basic Research and Technology Development Support.’

However, for employment support, only companies that have newly hired research personnel from one year before the announcement date until the contract signing date at the end of May can apply.

This year’s new support scale is approximately 350 companies for employment support and about 120 companies for dispatch support, totaling around 470 companies.

SMEs wishing to participate can apply through the SME Technology Development Project Integrated Management System website from March 7 to March 7.

Choi Yeol-su, head of the Gyeongnam Small and Medium Business Administration, said, “In a situation where the technological and management environment of companies is rapidly changing due to the digital economy transition, professional research personnel are the core of technological innovation, but many SMEs in Gyeongnam are struggling to secure research personnel. We hope that the SME Research Personnel Support Project will serve as a catalyst for technological innovation.”