Establishment of 19 New R&D Infrastructures
Up to 10 Billion KRW Support for Universities and Research Institutes
The government will invest 191.5 billion KRW this year in the Industrial Innovation Infrastructure Project and the Technology Support Platform Project.
On the 22nd, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced the implementation plan for new tasks this year under the Industrial Innovation Infrastructure Project, which aims to establish research facilities and equipment that can be jointly used during the technology innovation process, and is accepting applications from participating institutions.
This year, a total of 101 tasks will be supported with 191.5 billion KRW, of which 19 new tasks will receive 28.5 billion KRW.
The Industrial Innovation Infrastructure Project supports the establishment of technology development infrastructure such as research equipment and software (SW) that are essential for industrial technology innovation but difficult for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-sized companies to build on their own, by setting them up at universities, government-funded research institutes, specialized research institutes, and Technoparks (TP) for joint use.
SMEs and mid-sized companies can utilize the established infrastructure throughout the entire technology innovation cycle, including technology development, product planning and design, prototype production, and testing, certification, and evaluation.
This year, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to newly designate 19 tasks in the fields of semiconductors and displays, electronic and electrical, machinery and robotics, transportation, bio, digital and eco-friendly process innovation, and materials, and provide up to 10 billion KRW over a maximum of five years to universities, research institutions, and Technoparks (TP) wishing to build related infrastructure. Each institution can participate on the condition of contributing at least 30% of the total project cost.
Since 2011, the ministry has invested 1.7 trillion KRW in this project and established 4,604 pieces of equipment at research institutions nationwide.
Meanwhile, the ministry is also promoting the 'Industrial Innovation Technology Support Platform Project' to encourage the utilization of the established research infrastructure in a connected manner. This project provides necessary equipment and facilities by packaging research infrastructure from multiple institutions when companies request equipment support for technology development.
This year, the ministry plans to select research institution consortia to participate in 24 package services across six fields and support each consortium with 130 million KRW.
Lee Min-woo, Director of Industrial Technology Convergence Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, said, "At this point where global competition to secure leadership in advanced industries such as semiconductors and secondary batteries is intensifying, rapidly producing results from technology development to commercialization is a key competitive factor. The government will take responsibility for providing essential infrastructure promptly to ensure that the great potential ideas held by our companies can quickly translate into research and development (R&D) outcomes."
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