Focus on AI, Renewable Energy, and Restoring Basic Research Ecosystem
Next year’s national research and development (R&D) budget has been finalized at 35.5 trillion won. This represents a 19.9% increase from this year’s 29.6 trillion won, as the government seeks to accelerate the acquisition of new technologies, including physical artificial intelligence (AI) and renewable energy.
The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on Dec. 3 that the national R&D budget bill was approved at the National Assembly plenary session the previous day. This amount is 200 billion won more than the budget bill submitted by the government. It accounts for 4.9% of total government expenditure.
Through this budget, the government plans to focus investment on fostering future strategic industries including AI and energy, carbon neutrality, specifically next-generation AI technology, physical AI, energy backbone construction centered on renewable energy, quantum technology, semiconductors, and defense. The government also intends to restore the basic research ecosystem damaged by budget cuts from the previous administration and expand talent development.
The Ministry of Science and ICT’s departmental budget was also finalized at 23.741 trillion won, a 13.1% increase from this year. The ministry decided to focus investment on four major areas: nationwide AI transformation, NEXT strategic technology development, robust R&D ecosystem creation, and balanced growth based on science, technology, and digital infrastructure.
In the AI transformation sector, a total of 5.1 trillion won will be invested to integrate AI across R&D through AI highways, AI innovation technology and talent, AI diffusion and basic society initiatives. For securing NEXT strategic technologies, a total of 5.9 trillion won will be invested, including expanded investment in key technology fields such as semiconductors, advanced biotechnology, and quantum technology, as well as financial structure reform of government-funded research institutes.
The government allocated 4.5 trillion won for R&D ecosystem creation, including basic research expansion, national scientist development, strengthened support for national scholarships and research living allowances, and overseas talent recruitment. A total of 700 billion won will be invested in balanced growth, including strengthened regional autonomous R&D, expanded support for science culture experiences for regional residents, and digital divide resolution.
The Korea AeroSpace Administration’s budget was also set at 1.12 trillion won. The administration allocated 2 billion won in new preliminary preparation budget for the 7th Nuri-ho launch in 2028. Following the recent success of the 4th launch, Nuri-ho has confirmed launches only through the 5th launch next year and the 6th launch in 2027, making support measures for continued production and launches beyond that point an urgent matter.
출처 : Businesskorea(https://www.businesskorea.co.kr)