Mass Exemption of Preliminary Feasibility Studies for R&D Projects Including Quantum and Student Labor Costs

R&D Preliminary Feasibility Study Abolition Preceded by Unprecedented Exemption Move
Project Scale Undecided... To Be Determined After 4 Months of Adequacy Review

The government has decided to exempt six research and development (R&D) fields from preliminary feasibility studies. With the R&D preliminary feasibility study (PFS) abolition not progressing in the National Assembly, exemptions are effectively producing the same effect as abolition.

Ryu Gwang-jun, Director General of the Science and Technology Innovation Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT, is presiding over the "7th National Research and Development Project Evaluation General Committee" on the afternoon of the 26th at the National Economic Advisory Council conference room in the Kyobo Building, Gwanghwamun, Jongno-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 26th, the Ministry of Science and ICT held the 7th National R&D Project Evaluation General Committee and confirmed the exemption of preliminary feasibility studies for six projects, including the "Quantum Flagship Project."

It is extremely unusual to exempt six R&D projects from PFS at once. Considering that the probability of passing the PFS review was low and the scale of project reduction was significant, this is an unprecedented case. This stands in stark contrast to the fact that only 13 R&D projects were exempted from PFS over five years from 2019 to 2023.

The Quantum Flagship Project, which was exempted from PFS, had been undergoing PFS review for over a year. The Quantum Flagship Project aims to achieve leading-level outcomes within eight years by carrying out strategic tasks in quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing.

The support project for labor costs of science and engineering university students was exempted from PFS to secure scientific and technological research personnel, and the establishment of a gifted school affiliated with Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) was exempted recognizing that the conditions for school establishment were met.

The "mRNA-based rapid vaccine development platform project" for quick vaccine acquisition and the "Future Board Technology Project," which provides the world's first top technologies, products, and services to reshape the industrial landscape, were also recognized for their challenge and innovation.

Additionally, the "Regional Innovation Leading Company Development" project, aimed at fostering small and medium-sized enterprises outside the metropolitan area, was exempted from PFS as its feasibility for regional balanced development was acknowledged.

The Ministry of Science and ICT explained that it actively selected projects with high national policy necessity and urgency, but it is questionable whether so many PFS exemptions would have occurred if the government had not announced the plan to abolish R&D PFS in May.

However, the exact scale of the projects exempted from PFS this time has not been finalized. The Ministry of Science and ICT stated that it will review the appropriateness of project plans in a manner equivalent to PFS over the next four months and finalize the total project costs.

Ryu Gwang-jun, Director of the Science and Technology Innovation Bureau at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "While promoting the abolition of national R&D project PFS, the Ministry is expanding the exemption and rapid investigation systems during the transitional period. We will also proceed smoothly with the subsequent appropriateness review so that urgently needed national technology development can start on time."