“Research and development (R&D) is an ecosystem. The budget cuts to R&D two years ago meant that this ecosystem could not gradually adapt.”
Oh Tae-seok, the head of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP), met on the 9th in the headquarters of the South Chungcheong Innovation City, noting that “R&D budgets can change depending on national policies or budget situations, and it is possible to adjust them as needed based on the technology portfolio.” However, he added, “The R&D ecosystem should have been given time to adapt to changes before the budget cuts or increases occurred.” He further stated, “It was also a problem to brand researchers as a cartel, which negatively affected the morale and pride of those in the research field.”
Oh has been a seasoned bureaucrat responsible for science and technology policy for over 30 years. He oversaw science and technology policy as the first deputy minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT during the early days of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration but stepped down just before the sudden cuts to the R&D budget in 2023. At that time, Jo Song-kyung, the presidential science and technology secretary, replaced him as the first deputy minister and led the cuts to the R&D budget.
Oh left the Ministry of Science and ICT and taught innovation policy at the Sogang University Graduate School of Technology Management before taking office as the head of KISTEP on the 1st of last month. KISTEP plays the role of a think tank that assists the government's science and technology policies. Having taken the position just before the new government was launched, Oh's plans for science and technology innovation policy are significant.
Oh stated that the new government must not repeat similar mistakes. He explained that investments in strategic technologies and game-changing fields promoted by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration should not be suspended or drastically cut as the new government takes office. Oh noted, “It should be avoided that R&D investment areas change drastically just because the administration changes,” and added, “For example, the investments in AI (artificial intelligence) and quantum technology made during the first Trump administration have continued under the Biden administration and are being maintained in the current second Trump administration, becoming future sources of growth.”
Oh mentioned that changes are needed in the policy promotion system (governance) to enhance the efficiency of R&D investments and create an innovation ecosystem. He observed that the current R&D investment system focuses solely on science and is not yielding proper results in technology.
He remarked, “While it is said that R&D investments and basic science are important, there must be results that the public can perceive and agree with,” and insisted, “While 30 trillion won is invested in R&D each year, the results should not be conveyed only through simple metrics like the number of papers or patents, but rather demonstrate how much impact it has had on actual industrial development or innovation. A new evaluation system is necessary for this.”
In Europe, the concept of R&I, rather than R&D, is being proposed. This means examining how research results (R) lead to innovations (I) in industries or corporations. Oh stated, “Science policy and technology policy have different goals and evaluations, but in Korea, these two concepts are mixed. It is necessary to set clear goals for R&D investments so that they can lead to innovation and to have policies that support this.”
Oh proposed the revival of a chief technology officer (CTO) as an alternative. During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, the Minister of Science and Technology was elevated to vice prime minister, and powers were granted to the national CTO. Oh said, “In Korea, several ministries are making R&D investments, each believing that their own area is important. In a situation where growth is stagnating, we cannot indefinitely increase the 30 trillion won investment, and we must decide how and efficiently allocate it across different fields, a role that cannot be fulfilled by the existing vice ministers of economy or society.”
Furthermore, to link R&D investments with innovation in corporations or industries, policies must not simply remain in the realm of science and technology but should integrate various areas such as taxation, industry, and startup support. Oh explained that it is necessary to change governance, such as having a vice minister of science and technology, to ensure that the policies managed by different ministries come together so that R&D investments lead to actual industrial innovations.
Oh also indicated plans for restructuring KISTEP. He diagnosed that because the planning, execution, and evaluation of the R&D budget are performed by different organizations, proper planning and evaluation are not taking place. He stated, “A system is needed that can create policy alternatives while monitoring the government's policies in the medium and long term,” and added, “To achieve this, it is essential that planning, strategy, and evaluation of budgets be handled by a single organization to enable organic operation.”