Busan has embarked on redesigning its "science and technology-based research and development strategy" as the key to unlocking the city's future.
The Busan Metropolitan Government (Mayor Park Hyungjun) and the Busan Institute of Science and Technology Promotion (BISTEP, President Kim Youngboo) held the "2026 Busan Metropolitan City R&D Investment Direction Forum" on July 2 in the main conference room at Busan City Hall.
This forum was organized to establish policy guidelines for the strategic investment of the regional R&D budget and to gather input from the field to secure industrial transformation and future growth engines.
The forum proceeded in the following order: an opening address by Kim Youngboo, President of BISTEP; a welcoming speech by Hwang Junwoo, Director of R&D at the Busan Metropolitan Government; a presentation on the "2026 Investment Direction (Draft)" by Jung Hyunggu, Chief Researcher at the Evaluation and Analysis Division; followed by an expert panel discussion and a Q&A session.
The three main strategies for 2026 R&D investment presented by BISTEP can be summarized as: investment in "inevitable technologies" that drive emergent innovation; technological innovation that leads the transformation of regional strategic industries; and establishing a science and technology foundation for gradual growth.
The expert discussion delved deeply into each field, including industry, technology, policy, and data.
Representing the machinery and manufacturing sector, Jeon Hoil, Director at the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, stated, "Quantitative results are important, but there is a need to reprioritize investments through qualitative analysis."
Heo Yoonsoo, Vice President of the Busan Research Institute, emphasized, "Busan has a strong advantage in the maritime industry," and added, "Rather than simply following trends, customized strategies tailored to regional specialized industries are necessary."
Ok Suyeol, a professor at Dong-A University and an AI expert, noted, "The core of AI is data," and diagnosed, "Only when data collected from actual industrial sites is available can effective technology integration be achieved."
In the bio sector, Kang Taeheung, Head of Prestige Biopharma IDC, took the microphone and said, "Busan has a concentrated infrastructure for radiopharmaceuticals, enabling it to become a hub for the next-generation bio industry."
Jung Suhyeon, Senior Professional Manager at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Planning and Evaluation, who participated as a policy expert, advised, "Investment direction should not be a mere list of plausible keywords, but must be formulated based on the actual capabilities and infrastructure of the region."
Kim Youngboo, President of BISTEP, remarked, "R&D is the blueprint for designing the city's future," and added, "We will create a sustainable science and technology ecosystem through technology investment that leverages Busan's strengths and collaboration with local innovation institutions."
The suggestions and opinions gathered through the proposals and discussions at the forum will be reflected in the final version of the "2026 Busan R&D Investment Direction," which is scheduled to be finalized and announced in July. Subsequently, it will be widely used as a foundational reference for the formulation of Busan's R&D budget, planning of new projects, and policy deliberations.
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