[Walking Through Seoul] Seoul: The Hub of 'Science and Technology Clusters'

Global Competitiveness as a Science and Technology City
Active Private and Public Patent Activity
Strengthening University Investment and Research Capabilities

It has been 13 years since the global sensation of singer Psy's "Gangnam Style," which ushered in the golden age of Korean popular culture. In 2020, BTS enjoyed peak popularity, "Parasite" won the Best Picture award at the 92nd Academy Awards, and in 2021, Youn Yuh-jung received the Best Supporting Actress award at the 93rd Academy Awards. Then, in 2024, Han Kang was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Korean popular culture has shaped the image of Seoul today. Young people around the world are enthusiastic about the city of Seoul, imagining skyscrapers, subways, fashion, beauty, design, and street food markets. Seoul has become a city that creates and broadcasts new trends. But that is not all. Seoul is also a very important city in the field of science and technology. The synergy effect created by popular culture and science and technology is nothing short of the driving force behind Seoul.

The status of Seoul as a science and technology city can be gauged from the "Global Innovation Index," published by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) since 2007, covering 133 countries worldwide. Recently, a top 100 ranking has also been released. The index assesses countries by referencing various statistical data under two major categories: "innovation input" and "innovation output." It is also characterized by using only statistics such as "Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent applications" and "scientific paper achievements."

The term "city" here does not refer to administrative districts. The standard is a metropolitan area forming a "science and technology cluster." Taking Seoul as an example, it encompasses not only Seoul itself but the entire metropolitan area. Of course, there is no perfect method, and since the metropolitan area standards vary somewhat by country and only two categories are used as criteria, it cannot be considered a perfect evaluation in itself. However, this index allows a rough understanding of the competitiveness of cities in science and technology. According to the 2024 survey, South Korea ranked 6th out of 133 countries. Switzerland, Sweden, and the United States took 1st to 3rd places respectively, while China ranked 11th and Japan 13th.

Among 100 cities targeted for "science and technology clusters," Seoul ranked 4th. The 1st place was Tokyo-Yokohama, 2nd was the Hong Kong-Shenzhen-Guangzhou region, and 3rd was Beijing. All shared the commonality of having large populations as well as many universities, public research institutes, and private research institutes. Traditional major cities like New York, Paris, and London ranked 11th, 12th, and 21st respectively.

The synergy created by popular culture and science and technology is the driving force behind the innovative city of Seoul. The photo shows the view of Gasan Digital Complex. Photo by Kim Hyun-min.

Some countries have multiple "science and technology clusters" within their borders. China had the most with 26, followed by the United States with 20. Germany had 8, India and South Korea each had 4, and Japan had 3, one less than South Korea. In the "science and technology cluster" rankings, Daejeon ranked quite high at 17th, while Busan and Daegu ranked 81st and 88th respectively. Daejeon likely achieved a high ranking due to the Daedeok Research Complex, which hosts many public research institutes and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). This reflects government policies and support aimed at building science and technology cities.

Another interesting result is the "intensity" calculated per capita for "science and technology clusters." This ranking is distinctly different. Cities with large populations like Seoul or Tokyo rank lower compared to places with many universities and research institutes relative to their population. Small British city Cambridge, home to prestigious universities, and Silicon Valley cities San Jose and San Francisco, famous for IT industries, ranked high. Daejeon ranked 7th, Seoul 22nd, and Daegu and Busan ranked 72nd and 8th respectively.

The 2024 "Global Innovation Index" rankings show that Seoul's global status in science and technology competitiveness is high. What is the reason? One of the criteria for ranking, "Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patent applications" and "scientific paper achievements," generally come from universities and research institutes. However, in Seoul's case, public and private research institutes are more actively producing, which influences the results. Patents from universities are stronger than scientific paper achievements in the science field.

Though a simple comparison, the 2023 "Nature" research production index is a good example illustrating this characteristic. According to this report, Seoul National University, considered South Korea's top university, ranked 54th among universities worldwide, while Samsung Group ranked 10th among private research institutes. Samsung Electronics was also active in acquiring patents. Among public research institutes, the Institute for Basic Science ranked 18th, but only some of its affiliated institutes are in Seoul, with many more located in Daejeon.

What do these indices indicate? The increased investment to enhance university research capabilities since the 2000s means investment in the science and technology power of Seoul, a city with many universities. The importance of strengthening university research capabilities is not a new story. However, until now, discussions have mainly taken place at the national level, with relatively little discussion at the city level.

One point that should not be overlooked here is that as aging becomes more severe, the number of university students and the influx of talent will decrease. Therefore, attracting and retaining foreign students and talent will be an essential countermeasure. In the subcategory of the national ranking, "proportion of foreign students in higher education," South Korea ranked 73rd in 2020 and 55th in 2024. Although the ranking is improving, it is lower than the 6th place in the overall national ranking. Universities can play an important role in improving this area as a preparation for the future.

Looking at the map, Seoul is among the world's highest "science and technology clusters." Beijing (3rd) is to the left, and Tokyo-Yokohama (1st) is to the right. Both cities are within about two and a half hours' travel. Shanghai-Suzhou (5th), Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto (7th), and Nanjing (9th), which rank lower, are also reachable within about two hours.

The rising tide of nationalism worldwide is causing conflicts among the three East Asian countries as well. However, with population decline and accelerating economic growth slowdown, these cities have much to gain through human exchange and cooperation. This is especially true in the field of science and technology. Many indices indicate that Seoul's significance is growing ever greater at times like these.

Robert Fausser, Former Professor at Seoul National University