AI Semiconductors, Advanced Bio, and Quantum Confirmed as Three Major Game-Changer Technology Initiatives

Promotion of 9 Major Technology Innovation Projects to Create a New Semiconductor Myth
Leap to a Leading Advanced Bio Nation through Digital-Bio Convergence and Bio Manufacturing Innovation
Strengthening Breakthrough Investments and Strategic Cooperation to Secure Leading Status in the Quantum Economy Era

The National Science and Technology Advisory Council (Chair: the President) held a “National Science and Technology Advisory Council Plenary Meeting” on the 25th at the Yongsan Presidential Office, chaired by Vice Chair Lee Woo-il, and announced that it reviewed and approved the AI-Semiconductor, Advanced Bio, and Quantum (Quantum) three major game-changer technology initiatives.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering a commemorative speech at the 2024 Science and Technology and Information and Communication Day ceremony held at the National Gwacheon Science Museum in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 22nd. In his speech, President Yoon promised to foster South Korea to leap forward as one of the 'Top 3 Global Science and Technology Powers' by 2030 through focused investment in the three major game-changing technologies?AI-semiconductors, advanced bio, and quantum?and strategic cooperation with allied countries.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

AI-Semiconductor, Advanced Bio, and Quantum technologies are core strategic technologies that will rapidly change the global economic, social, and security paradigms amid unprecedented rapid technological changes, and are attracting attention as game-changer technologies fiercely contested by countries around the world. President Yoon Suk-yeol also emphasized a strong commitment to fostering the three major game-changer technologies at the Science and Information and Communications Day event held on the 22nd.

As the public and private sectors have jointly established concrete visions and strategies for the three major game-changer technologies, the government has set the goal of “becoming one of the world’s top three countries by 2030” in the fields of AI-Semiconductor, Advanced Bio, and Quantum, and plans to focus investment on these technologies, advance the value chains of each technology to open leading markets, and strengthen strategic cooperation with allied countries.

The government will actively promote nine major technological innovation tasks for AI semiconductors and simultaneously launch the “National Artificial Intelligence Committee” directly under the President as a nationwide promotion system to consolidate the capabilities of industry, academia, research institutes, and government across the entire AI-semiconductor value chain, and will monitor the overall performance of the industrial ecosystem. Through the successful hosting of the “AI Seoul Summit” scheduled for next month, South Korea’s global AI leadership will also be solidified.

To promote the Advanced Bio initiative, efforts to nurture talent, create an industrial ecosystem, build infrastructure, foster global cooperation, and innovate regulations through legal and institutional improvements will be actively supported. Multidisciplinary programs such as Bio+Digital and Bio+Engineering will cultivate convergent talents, and support throughout the entire bio industry cycle?from startups to private investment?will be strengthened. In addition to cutting-edge bio research facilities and equipment, advanced bio infrastructure such as supercomputers and automated laboratories will be expanded, joint research and policy coordination with leading advanced bio countries will be strengthened, and a proactive legal and institutional foundation and regulatory improvement roadmap for emerging advanced bio technologies will also be pursued.

To foster the quantum field, the government plans to aggressively expand next year’s quantum science and technology budget to more than double this year’s amount and strengthen the strategic nature of research and development (R&D) through flexible and stable financial support.

Furthermore, a Quantum Strategy Committee will be formed with the Prime Minister as chair, including demand ministries and private experts, and continuous expansion of permanent communication channels among the private sector, government, and research community, as well as quantum dialogues with major leading countries, will be pursued.

Through the promotion of the “Quantum Initiative,” the government aims to raise the level of quantum science and technology from the current 65% to over 80% by 2030, accelerate core technology development and market creation by expanding quantum technology supply and utilization companies from about 80 (as of 2022) to 500.

The meeting was attended by ministers from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Presidential Senior Secretary for Science and Technology, as well as 11 advisory members and 10 deliberation members from the private sector.

Vice Chair Lee Woo-il stated, “If we only do the same goals and directions as others well, it will be difficult to survive in the fiercely competitive struggle for leadership,” and urged, “Now, we must go one step further beyond doing well and become pioneers and first movers who pioneer new areas that will change the future.”