Late This Month, Minister of Science and ICT Reaches Agreement in Brussels
President Yoon Suk-yeol is applauding the participants after delivering an encouragement speech at the "Dialogue with Future Scientists" held on the 16th at ICC Hotel in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. [Image source=Yonhap News]
South Korea will become an associate member of the European Union's (EU) largest multilateral research and innovation funding program, Horizon Europe, next year. If the accession to Horizon Europe is successful, Korean researchers are expected to receive European research funding, participate in global programs, and explore various international cooperation opportunities. The Presidential Office announced plans to increase the research and development (R&D) budget next year to alleviate concerns in the science and technology community and to advance the country as a science and technology innovation leader.
On the 5th, a senior official from the Presidential Office told reporters, "Negotiations for South Korea's accession as an associate member to the research and innovation funding program Horizon Europe have been underway, and an agreement is imminent." Horizon Europe is a multilateral research and innovation funding program initiated by the European Union in 1984, designed to carry out research and innovation projects at the EU level that individual member states find difficult to pursue alone.
The official said, "Starting next year, South Korea will join Horizon Europe, pay contributions, and be able to directly secure EU research funds to participate in global research programs." He added, "The Minister of Science and ICT is scheduled to visit Brussels, Belgium, later this month to announce the conclusion of the negotiations." It is expected that the contract for accession will be signed in October this year, and South Korea will begin full activities as an associate member of Horizon Europe from next year.
Additionally, from next year, the R&D budget will be increased to address concerns in the scientific community. A Presidential Office official stated, "The Office of the Chief of Science and Technology is currently establishing next year's investment direction in consultation with the Science and Technology Innovation Headquarters and financial authorities, alongside mid- to long-term plans." He added, "Next week, the government’s R&D investment direction will be submitted to the National Science and Technology Council, and following a presidential briefing and depending on the approval of the agenda, detailed announcements will be made by the relevant ministries."
In particular, the budget for innovation-leading projects will be significantly expanded next year. The Presidential Office official said, "Innovation-leading R&D projects are currently underway in five projects across three ministries." He continued, "A consultative body will be launched next week to connect representative projects, share know-how, and upgrade related systems."
Regarding the specific scale of the budget increase, the Presidential Office official explained, "The stage of surveying R&D demands from each ministry remains, and the Science and Technology Innovation Headquarters will aggregate the total amount and finalize it through consultation with the financial authorities."
Strengthening Support for Young Researchers... Planning AI Semiconductor Project
The government plans to expand support for young researchers by increasing the research living stipend (Stipend) for future researchers. A Presidential Office official said, "In consultation with the Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Education, and financial authorities, a Korean-style stipend system for 20 graduate students was announced at a public welfare forum," adding, "Work to concretize follow-up measures is underway, and financial support will be included in next year’s budget."
Following Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s visit to Korea at the end of last month, a project to enhance competitiveness in the artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor sector is also being planned. The Presidential Office official said, "In the AI era, leveraging our advanced semiconductor manufacturing capabilities as a foundation, we are planning a comprehensive 'AI Semiconductor Project' led by the AI and Digital Secretariat, which includes intelligent semiconductor business, Process In Memory (PIM), next-generation HBM, and Korean-style GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) for AI."
Furthermore, the Presidential Office stated that the appointment of secretaries under the Office of the Chief of Science and Technology will be completed next week, finalizing the team. Recently, the AI and Digital Secretary and Advanced Bio Secretary under the Office of the Chief of Science and Technology have been appointed, and work is underway to appoint the Secretary for Future and Strategic Technologies. A Presidential Office official said, "Multiple candidates are undergoing personnel screening for the Secretary for Future and Strategic Technologies position," adding, "We expect to introduce the appointee around next week."
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