KISTEP held ‘KISTEP Think 2023 S&T Innovation Policy Conference’ on December 8, 2022. 

 

The conference was held to share the achievement of the 15 Innovation agendas announced at KISTEP Think 2022 and to announce the 10 S&T innovation policy agendas for 2023.

 

After the opening remarks of Byung-Seon Jeong, the president of KISTEP, Byoung-Ho Son, vice president of KISTEP, organized the conference as a moderator, and Hyun-Kyu Kang, director of the Center for Strategy Planning had a presentation, then a panel discussion followed. All sessions were broadcast through the KISTEP Youtube channel.

 

△ Opening Remarks by Byung-Seon Jeong, President of KISTEP

 

President Byung-Seon Jeong of KISTEP, in his opening remarks, said, “we are facing many unexpected challenges” and “KISTEP presents 10 key agendas which will be the solution for the next year amid the changing crisis environment.” He added, “I hope this conference will provide more concrete policy alternatives.”

 

△ Presentation by Hyun-Kyu Kang, Director of Center for Strategy Planning, KISTEP

 

Director Hyun-kyu Kang of the Center for Strategy Planning of KISTEP analyzed major domestic and international environmental chances and presented 3 areas and 10 specific policy agendas to respond to environmental changes.

 

※ 【Think 2023 Top 10 S&T Innovation Policy Agendas】

 

1. S&T sovereignty securement in the era of technological hegemony

❶ Establishment of strategies to nurture national strategic technologies to strengthen technology sovereignty

❷ Establishment of ways to secure key talents in order to lead the super gap technology

❸ Enforcement of investment strategy of basic research in the national strategic technology area

❹ Establishment of strategic system for S&T diplomacy to secure global leadership

2. Paradigm shift to a mission-oriented R&D system

❺ Establishment of the investment platform and evaluation system for mission-oriented R&D

❻ Preparation of R&D implementation strategies and system for carbon neutrality

❼ Reinforcement of R&D innovation policy for Digital transformation

3. Intensification of innovation ecosystem led by the private and local sector

❽ Improvement of the system to promote technology innovation in the private sector

❾ R&D supporting system innovation for strengthening the innovation capacity of companies

❿ Improvement of region-led innovation capability for balanced development

 

Director Kang said, “KISTEP will increase the ability to implement policy agenda, and these agenda will be applied to planning and implementation of major projects in next year and will be the fuel to conduct R&R of KISTEP as an STI think tank.”

 

Professor Joonmo Ahn of Korea University, CEO Hyunmo Yang of WITH WISERs, a strategic consulting company, professor So Young Kim of KAIST, and principal researcher Min-Seon Kim of Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) joined the panel discussion after the presentation, and vice president Byoung-Ho Son of KISTEP as a moderator led the discussion.

 

△Professor Joonmo Ahn, Korea University

 

Professor Joonmo Ahn of Korea University said, “Integration Korean-style mission-oriented innovation policies are important because collaboration among government ministries and cooperation between the private sector and the government are insufficient,” and “I hope that KISTEP plays a role in integrating diverse policies and producing synergy.”

 

△ Hyunmo Yang, CEO of Strategic Consulting WITH WISERs

 

CEO Hyunmo Yang of Strategic Consulting WITH WISERs stressed, “collaboration should be spread in terms of institutional and cultural aspects in the S&T R&D area.” He also mentioned, “We have to try to lead to innovation based on trust from the cooperation of diverse innovation actors.”

 

△Professor So Young Kim, KAIST

 

Professor So Young Kim of KAIST argued that “it is necessary to clarify the actor of innovation policy when we set the agenda and to diagnose problems macroscopically.” She also pointed out that “we still lack the novelty providing new agenda into S&T innovation policy.”

 

△Min-Seon Kim, Principal Researcher, KITECH

Principal researcher Min-Seon Kim of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) pointed out that “the direction of government R&D investment and 10 policy agenda from KISTEP are in line currently, but we need to differentiate them from now on.” Also, she recommended that agendas should be established long-term and short-term, considering their goals.