1.1 Trillion Won Invested in 'Korean-style ARPA-H' to Solve Health and Medical Challenges

Ministry of Science and ICT Finalizes Project Scale
AI Biotechnology Gifted School to Launch This Year

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 23rd that it held the '2024 3rd National R&D Project Evaluation General Committee' and finalized the scale of the projects exempted from preliminary feasibility study (PFS), including the 'Korean-style ARPA-H Project' and the 'Establishment of the AI BIO Gifted School affiliated with Chungbuk Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)'.

Ryu Gwang-jun, Director of the Science and Technology Innovation Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT, is presiding over the 3rd General Committee Meeting for the 2024 National Research and Development Project Evaluation held on the 23rd. Photo by Ministry of Science and ICT

The 'Korean-style ARPA-H Project' is a mission-oriented R&D initiative aimed at solving national health and medical challenges through high-cost, high-difficulty, and high-impact research. It consists of supporting technology development for five major missions: establishing health security, overcoming unmet diseases, innovating the life health (biohealth) industry, and improving welfare and care services. A total of 1.1628 trillion KRW will be invested by 2029.

The 'Establishment of the AI BIO Gifted School affiliated with Chungbuk KAIST' project is being promoted to secure national competitiveness in AI BIO by nurturing outstanding talents early. A total project cost of 58.4 billion KRW will be invested by 2027 for school construction, including dormitory facilities. Both projects are expected to proceed in earnest from this year following the adequacy review results.

Separately, the committee selected the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's 'Export-oriented Global Excellent Company Research Institute Development Project' as the first PFS target project of 2024.