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Directions for the 21st Century

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Korea’s S&T policy should be directed in a way to meet societal and environmental needs, and the policy needs to be compatible with humanity and the natural environment. Korea wishes to play an active role in international efforts to contribute to human welfare through the advancement of science and technology. This is a drastic transition from the past policy of industrialization. In order to achieve this objective, the ministry seeks to establish a more balanced innovation system that encourages a cooperative and competitive tripartite partnership among industries, academia, and public research organizations.

The Long-term Vision for Science and Technology Development

  • The major directions for S&T development set out in Vision 2025 include:
  • Shift the national innovation system from government-led to private-led
    Improve the efficiency of national R&D investments
    Align the R&D system to global standards
    Meet the challenges and harvest the opportunities presented by new technologies
  • In an effort to realize the vision by the year 2025, the Korean government launched the 21st Century Frontier R&D Program and enacted the Science and Technology Framework Law that was put into effect in 1999. Based on this law, the government formulated the Five-Year Science and Technology Plan and National Technology Road Map.

Establishing the First Five-year S&T Principal Plan

  • This plan establishes the framework for managing S&T development, including such measures for action in S&T investment, national R&D, enhancing public awareness of S&T, S&T human resource development, promotion of technology transfer and commercialization, and globalization of S&T activities.
  • This plan, which was finalized in December 2001, serves as the action plan for reaching the first stage of the development goal set in Vision 2025 and supplements the Five-year Plan for S&T Innovation. The plan aims to place Korea among the ranks of the top ten S&T powers by the year 2006. Toward this end, the plan pursues the following strategies:
  • Invest in S&T development on the principle of "selection and concentration"
    Make the best use of the creativity of scientists and engineers
    Link the domestic innovation system to the global system
    Enhance public understanding of and interests in S&T
    Efficient use of R&D resources
    The Korean government set up a National Technology Road Map (NTRM), which
    describes target technologies for development, timetables for development, and their anticipated effects. Approximately 800 experts from industries, academia, and research communities participated in the process of formulating the NTRM.
  • The NTRM will be updated periodically to take into consideration the new changes taking place in science and technology.

Regional Science and Technology Promotion

  • Promotion of regional science and technology is essential to the sustainable development of the nation. The government has set up a Five-year Comprehensive Regional Science and Technology Promotion Plan, which consists of the following six programs:
  • Development of local competences in strategic technologies
    Creation of regional centers for technological innovation
    Development of local S&T human resources
    Establishment of regional S&T information systems
    Nurturing a culture conducive to S&T innovation
    Increasing R&D investments of local governments
    The plan for 2003 focuses on cultivating key technologies for regional industrial development and creating regional clusters of innovations.