The Ministry of Science and ICT stated on Thursday it finalised the Sixth Basic Plan for Science and Technology (2026-2030) after it was accredited by the National Science and Technology Advisory Council’s deliberation assembly. The core is to invest greater than 200 trillion won in authorities analysis and improvement over 5 years and unfold a synthetic intelligence (AI) transformation throughout the nation.
The primary plan is the highest nationwide plan in the science and expertise sector primarily based on Article 7 of the Framework Act on Science and Technology. It underpins 76 mid- to long-term plans throughout science and expertise fields, and pan-ministry R&D funding and analysis. A complete of 36 ministries, companies and committees took half in drawing up the plan.
Major nations together with the United States, China, Japan and the European Union (EU) are treating science and expertise as financial and safety strategic belongings and are rolling out associated insurance policies in succession. Examples embody the United States’ “Genesis Mission”, China’s “15th five-year plan”, Japan’s “Seventh Basic Plan for Science, Technology and Innovation”, and the EU’s “Technology Sovereignty Package”.
The sixth plan units a imaginative and prescient of “new growth enjoyed by everyone through science and technology innovation and a major AI transformation” and chosen 4 methods: the science and expertise innovation system, a serious AI transformation, technology-led progress, and progress for everybody. Under the 4 methods, it contains 12 key duties and 40 detailed duties.
◆ Innovation in the analysis setting… lower administrative varieties by 90 p.c and promote difficult R&D
Innovation in the R&D system is the primary technique’s core. It will reorganise an R&D system that had been fragmented by ministry across the deputy prime minister for science and expertise, and create a predictable funding setting.
It will lower analysis administrative varieties by greater than 90 p.c, to 154 from 2,171. To help difficult analysis that tolerates failure, it’ll scrap an analysis grade system and in addition introduce a technique to hyperlink follow-up initiatives to significant analysis no matter whether or not targets are met.
It may also strengthen help for expertise. It will choose 20 “national scientists” annually and supply scholarships yearly to 10,000 science and engineering college and graduate college students. It will newly help 4,000 postdoctoral researchers by 2030. It will individually allocate 240 grasp’s-level specialist analysis personnel in AI annually from 2027 to 2029 to massive firms and government-funded analysis institutes.
◆ Spread AI shift throughout all fields… construct 260,000 GPUs and a sixth supercomputer
The second technique is a serious AI transformation. It will unfold an AI shift (AX) throughout all nationwide sectors together with science and expertise, trade and the general public sector, and proceed creating an unbiased basis mannequin. It plans to choose an unbiased AI basis mannequin in 2027 after which advance it into specialised fashions by sector.
On infrastructure, it’ll secure 260,000 public-private graphics processing items (GPUs) and construct a sixth supercomputer and the National AI Computing Center. It may also pursue expertise improvement for commercialisation of 6G round 2030.
It may also push forward with institutional revisions. The “Special Act on AI Data Centers” is ready to take impact in February 2027, and the “National Research Data Act” in June 2027. It may also pursue an “AI for Everyone” service that anybody can use free of charge, with a aim of lifting the AI service expertise charge to greater than 70 p.c by 2030 from the present 44.5 p.c.
◆ Focus 60 trillion won on 10 strategic expertise fields… Semiconductor Special Act to take impact in August
It additionally adopted a technology-led progress technique. It will focus funding of greater than 60 trillion won over 5 years in 55 applied sciences throughout 10 nationwide strategic expertise fields: AI, superior robotics and mobility, next-generation safety and networks, semiconductors and shows, superior bio, next-generation batteries, aerospace and oceans, progressive and future supplies, future vitality and nuclear energy, and quantum.
To promote commercialisation and start-ups, it’ll broaden programs that encourage researcher start-ups, often called Lab-to-Market. It may also broaden coverage financing such because the National Growth Fund and the Science and Technology Innovation Fund. In semiconductors, help for cluster websites, energy and water will probably be put into full swing because the “Semiconductor Special Act” takes impact in August. The “Special Act on Small Modular Reactors” will take impact in September.
◆ Regional R&D autonomy and wholesome life expectancy at 70… balanced progress objectives
The fourth technique is “growth for everyone” encompassing areas, well being and vitality. Under the “Regional Science and Technology Innovation Act”, which takes impact in January 2027, it’ll broaden block-funding-type regional autonomous R&D and intensively foster specialised industries by area in the 5-pole 3-special zones framework.
In local weather and vitality, it’ll foster carbon-free vitality akin to next-generation nuclear energy and nuclear fusion alongside a shift to renewable vitality akin to photo voltaic and wind. It may also 추진 early building by 2030 of an ultra-high-voltage direct present (HVDC) transmission line alongside the west coast linking Saemangeum and Seohwaseong.
Key efficiency objectives embody increasing the variety of globally influential researchers to greater than 100 from 76, narrowing the strategic expertise hole with the highest nation to inside 2 years from 2.8 years, and elevating wholesome life expectancy to greater than 70 years from 65.5 years.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon (배경훈) stated, “The next five years will be a decisive period that will determine the next 30 years of South Korea’s future.” He added, “We will strive so that related ministries, the private sector and local governments become one team to make the country strong and not shaken by changes in the external environment and supply chain issues, and so that all people can enjoy the成果 of science and technology.”