S. Korea to spend W200b for R&D digitalization

South Korea will spend 200 billion won ($144 million) on digital integration strategy projects over the next five years to shorten the time researchers take to solve complex problem surrounding new technologies by decades, the Ministry of Science said Tuesday.

According to the ministry, the government will use the financial support for projects that integrate artificial intelligence, digital twin and big data into developing diagnoses of diseases such as intractable cancer and dementia, nine new materials and prediction models of changes in space.

The ministry plans to increase the number of smart laboratories such as AI robot material labs and bio foundry facilities.

The government will look to strengthen support for advancing the infrastructure of collecting, sharing and utilizing research data by setting up and operating a quality checking center for research data.

The ministry will develop over 40 data analysis models for various research purposes including designing antibodies and diagnosing diseases through reviewing protein data as well as predicting synthesis probabilities based on material data.

In order to secure core research personnel, the ministry will expand data science education for 1,000 master's and doctorate students through 2028. The ministry will also provide AI education for some 8,000 researchers at government-funded research institutes through 2027.

“From protein structure analysis to semiconductor design and material development, the importance of research and development integrating digital techniques is becoming bigger in order to overcome the limitations of traditional research methods and create innovative achievements,” said Oh Tae-seog, first vice minister at the Ministry of Science and ICT, as he announced the ministry’s digital integration strategies for R&D at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.

“With the (digital integration) strategies, we will continue to provide support measures to lead the digital research innovation together with researchers,” he added.

By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)