The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and KISTEP held a 'Great Open Forum on R&D Innovation' in The-K hotel on November 13th. This open forum attended by some 300 persons including the Minister of Science, ICT and Future Planning, officials from government agencies, and persons from industrial circles, academic circles, research circles and the press started with the topic presentation of President Heekook Lee of LG Group (the chairman of the Technology Council)(The Problem in R&D and Breakthrough), which was followed by a 4-hour marathon discussion on the topic of 'R&D, Fundamental Problem and Groping of Innovative Solution' under the chairmanship of Chairman Jang-moo Lee of National Science and Technology Council.
  It has been continuously pointed out that, though the governmental investment in R&D has reached the level of advanced countries in volume at the beginning of this government, the qualitative level such as superior research performances and commercialization achievements falls short of that of advanced countries. This open forum was arranged to diagnose the problems in R&D felt by the on-site researchers who actually carry out researches and commercialize the result and grope for fundamental alternatives.

Before the full scale discussion, Minister Yanghee Choi, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, expressed his strong will for R&D innovation saying, "It is true that the superior performances and commercialization achievements of our R&D fall short of the scale of investment, and we cannot ask people to wait forever and have to repay them with performances. This is a golden time for R&D innovation. From now on, the industrial academic and research circles and the government with one accord have to properly complete R&D innovation until people say that it is well done."
 
As the atmosphere was heightened from the beginning of the discussion, diverse opinions poured out from all walks of life. The major opinions include ▲ Arrangement of R&D budget investment strategy in a long-term view, ▲ Establishment of challenging and drastic program goals, ▲ Program planning on which industrial and market demands are reflected, ▲ Collaboration between government departments for the follow up R&Ds of superior basic/source studies, ▲ Proper assessment of qualitative performances and definite reward for excellence, and ▲ Reinforcement of overall support for commercialization of the results.