Government Allocates 10.3 Billion Won for AI Transformation in Sports and Tourism... Announces 18 New R&D Projects

Korea Creative Content Agency R&D Budget Reaches Record 149.9 Billion Won
65 Billion Won Allocated for Standardization of Personal Workout Data
3.75 Billion Won to Support Development of Innovative Tourism Technologies

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency announced on March 3 that they will launch the '2026 Culture, Sports and Tourism R&D Project Second Integrated Call for New Tasks,' which aims to drive the artificial intelligence (AI) transformation of the sports and tourism industries.

This year, the Korea Creative Content Agency's total research and development (R&D) budget has increased by KRW 45.4 billion compared to the previous year, reaching KRW 149.9 billion, the largest amount ever. The sports and tourism sector projects are being resumed after three years. Through this announcement, KRW 10.275 billion will be allocated to eighteen projects.

In the sports sector, KRW 6.5 billion will be invested to advance the standardization and utilization technologies for personal exercise data. Among these, KRW 800 million will be provided for developing Internet of Things (IoT)-based simple doping test technologies and establishing an integrated data management system. In addition, KRW 5.7 billion will be allocated for developing technologies that utilize individual exercise records. These initiatives aim to address social issues such as population aging and lay the foundation for creating a new market in the health sector.

In the tourism sector, KRW 3.75 billion has been earmarked for the development of AI-based tourism innovation technologies. The project will improve tourism data management systems and develop specialized technologies that incorporate AI, thereby fostering a data-driven industrial ecosystem.

Applications can be submitted through the Integrated Research Support System (IRIS) operated by multiple ministries. On March 4, the Korea Creative Content Agency will hold a project briefing session at the Content Human Resource Campus in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, to provide details on support directions and evaluation criteria. Kim Myungha, Head of the Center for Culture, Sports and Tourism Technology Promotion, stated, "We will expand the development of technologies that can be applied in the field, delivering tangible results that the public can experience."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.