2024 Industrial Technology Research Association Technology Exchange Meeting Held

The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho hereafter referred to as MSIT) held the 2024 Industrial Technology Research Association Technology Exchange Meeting on Tuesday June 18 at the EL Tower in Yangjae in collaboration with the Korea Industrial Technology Research Association (Chairman Kim Jin-woo hereafter referred to as the Association). The event aimed to discuss strategies for promoting private-led technological innovation and collaborative and convergent R&D.

The Industrial Technology Research Association is a consortium of companies established to promote more innovative and competitive industrial technology development through inter-company cooperation and convergence. Since this year MSIT has been promoting the Support Project for Promoting the Commercialization of Cooperative and Convergent Science and Technology to foster a private-led ecosystem for cooperative and convergent technologies using research associations the primary entities of private R&D innovation.

This event gathered participating industrial technology research associations relevant organizations and companies to share the latest industrial technology trends and discuss strategies to enhance collaborative and convergent R&D ensuring the generation of practical research outcomes.

In the keynote speech Professor Jung Goo-min from Kookmin University presented Convergence and Innovation through the Latest Technology Trends emphasizing the importance of a cooperative and convergent R&D ecosystem in response to scientific and technological innovation and changes. Following this relevant organizations such as the Korea Industrial Technology Promotion Association and the Korea Technology Commercialization Promotion Agency presented various strategies for utilizing research associations to stimulate corporate R&D discovering and matching public technologies and promoting the activation of research associations.

Furthermore as examples of collaborative and convergent R&D Lee Woo-sung Director of PCN Co. Ltd. presented on Trends and Utilization Cases of Super-Giant AI and Kim Hyo-sil Director of the Future Quantum Convergence Center discussed Quantum Ecosystem Trends and Industrial Convergence Cases. Additional presentations included the Common Needs Technology and Item Discovery R&D Planning Case by the Materials and Components Technology Convergence Research Association and R&D Planning and Commercialization Strategies among Value Chain Companies by Baida Co. Ltd.

Hwang Pan-sik Director of the R&D Policy Office at MSIT stated Effectively responding to the speed of technological innovation and securing the worlds first and best innovative technologies requires the consolidation of government and private capabilities. MSIT will continue to make efforts to enhance scientific and technological competitiveness and national innovation capabilities by utilizing research associations the key entities of R&D innovation to strengthen R&D planning and research outcomes.