The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Kyunghoon Bae, hosted the Public-Private Cooperation Day for Solving Social Problems on Tuesday, December 23, at OnDream Society. The event was organized by KISTEP, the Korea Institute of S&T Evaluation and Planning, led by President Taeseok OH. The event was designed to provide a platform for dialogue between the private sector and the government on jointly addressing nationwide social problems—with the private sector contributing investment, mentoring and infrastructure, and the government identifying outstanding researchers and research outcomes—and to create social value by fostering a collaborative ecosystem.

 

Attendees included Lim Yo-up, Deputy Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Coordination at the Ministry of Science and ICT; Taeseok OH, President of KISTEP; Heo Jae-hyung, Chairman of the Impact Alliance; other heads of public institutions; and representatives from private impact companies. Part 1 featured a forum on policy and institutional improvement measures for solving social problems and on ways to lay the groundwork for a collaborative ecosystem. Part 2 included presentations of outstanding achievements and an awards ceremony.

 

Lim, a deputy minister at MSIT, said in his opening remarks that while the government has expanded investment in R&D focused on solving social problems, it recognizes the limitation that research outcomes have not been sufficiently connected to real-world settings. He said the government would strengthen support to accelerate the real-world application and wider diffusion of research outcomes through events like this one, and to drive tangible social change by fostering an ecosystem in which private-sector capabilities can be fully utilized.

Director General Lim Yo-up delivering the opening address

President of KISTEP, Taeseok OH stated in his welcome address that it was evident researchers were seeking concrete solutions to various social issues that had previously been perceived solely as technical problems. He added that KISTEP, as an organization dedicated to solving social problems, would support the entire process of establishing and disseminating research outcomes in the field. This support would ensure sustainable results through linking research achievements, field verification, and private sector consulting. He also expressed hope that this event would serve as a starting point for substantive cooperation.

President of KISTEP, Taeseok OH delivering a welcome address

In his congratulatory address, Chairman of the Impact Alliance, Heo Jae-hyung noted that while the private impact ecosystem has strived to solve social problems, it has faced limitations due to a lack of collaborative structures connecting technology, the field, and capital. He expressed his hope that this event would mark the beginning of building a sustainable, trust-based cooperative structure where the private and public sectors connect their respective strengths.

Chairman of the Impact Alliance, Heo Jae-hyung delivering a congratulatory address

Yun-Mi Ko, Head of the Social Innovation Policy Team at KISTEP, presented ‘Key Action Items for Promoting Public-Private Cooperation in Solving Social Problems’ from the public sector perspective. She emphasized that for R&D outcomes aimed at solving social problems to move beyond technology development and spread into the impact market, private-sector cooperation structures must be designed with greater precision. To achieve this, she proposed three core tasks: enhancing the value of technology outcomes, adopting a problem-centered approach, and establishing a system for disseminating R&D results. She further proposed establishing collaborative governance, linking R&D with the impact ecosystem, and building collaborative platforms as key directions. She stated that while the government would handle institutional design and support, and the private sector would serve as the primary implementer on the ground, KISTEP would act as an intermediary to establish a sustainable foundation for private-sector collaboration.

 

Jeon Il-ju, Team Leader of the Impact Alliance, presented on the topic ‘Proposing a Successful Social Problem-Solving Collaboration Model from the Private Sector's Perspective’. Team Leader Jeon pointed out that the limitation of social problem-solving R&D lies not in a lack of technology, but in the absence of market, pricing, and diffusion structures. He specifically explained that technologies targeting vulnerable groups are heavily influenced by government pricing and procurement structures. He further diagnosed that while prototype development and mass production/diffusion require entirely different expertise, current R&D insufficiently reflects mass production and diffusion needs. Consequently, he emphasized the necessity of shifting from a “research-to-product” approach to a reverse R&D model starting with defining field problems and establishing pricing and diffusion conditions.

Presentations by Director Yunmi Ko and Team Leader Jeon Il-ju

The subsequent comprehensive discussion, chaired by OH Hyun-Hwan, Director General of the Office of Innovation Strategy at KISTEP, featured participants including Kim Jae-yong, Director at MSIT; Cheolhan Kim, Professor at Daejeon University; Kim Jeong-tae, CEO of MYSC; Jang Jae-ho, CEO of FRT Robotics; and Han Eun-young, Director at the Daejeon Center for Creative Economy & Innovation. They discussed concrete tasks for enabling public-private cooperation to function effectively on the ground. The discussion reached a consensus that the limitation of social problem-solving R&D lies not in technological deficiency but in disconnects with demand, markets, and institutions. It was pointed out that while research outcomes have accumulated, they fail to translate into market and field applications because they lack sufficient reflection of field-centered problem definitions and conditions like pricing, standards/specifications, and diffusion requirements. Particularly, since the primary demand for social problem-solving technologies comes from the government rather than the private sector, creating markets through early government procurement and institutionalization was emphasized as a key task. Furthermore, consensus emerged on the need to shift from paper- and patent-centric performance evaluations to systems focused on problem-solving and practical applicability, to establish a pipeline linking research–demonstration–procurement–diffusion, and to strengthen the role of intermediaries connecting technology and demand.

Comprehensive discussion

Part 2 featured a demonstration day (demo day) for private investors, verifying the market potential and social value of outstanding social problem-solving R&D achievements and helping them attract investment and secure opportunities for real-world application. Following presentations on 10 outstanding achievements from 2025, an awards ceremony was held, presenting the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Award to 6 recipients and the KISTEP President’s Award to 4 recipients.

Recipients of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Award

△ Winners of the Award Presented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT

 

Min Kyu-sik, CEO of Todak Co., Ltd.

Domestic production of the world's largest 32-channel cochlear implant device for individuals with profound hearing loss (MOHW)

 

Oh Jae-young, Center Directo at Korea Conformity Laboratories (KCL)

Energy management system for energy-reducing cold chain logistics centers based on AI and digital twin technology (MOTIR)

 

Kim Jong-min, Principal Researcher, Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute(KAERI)

Development of Core Algorithms/Software for Remote Fatigue Crack Generation/Measurement and Fracture Toughness (J-R) Evaluation (MSIT)

 

Park Ro Seop, Professor, Hallym University

Development of AI Investigation Support Solution Enhancing Efficiency (12.5%) and Objectivity in Criminal Investigations (e.g., Cybercrime) (Korean National Police Agency)

 

Hak Joon Kim, Principal Researcher, Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials (KIMM)

Ultra-Fine Dust Reduction Technology for Large-Scale Multi-Use Facilities Using Filterless Electrostatic Precipitation (MSIT)

 

Dae-sung Yoo, Professor, Chonnam National University

Development of a Risk-Based Vaccination Policy Model for Livestock Infectious Diseases and Advancement of the National Disease Control System (MAFRA)

Recipients of the KISTEP President’s Award

△ KISTEP President’s Award Winners

 

Lee Kang Bok, Director, Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI)

AI fire sensor technology free of false alarms (MSIT)

 

Jeon Seok, CEO, Grida Energy Co., Ltd.

An energy self-sufficiency business model optimized for small village units (MOTIR)

 

Yang Chang-ju, Researcher, National Institute of Agricultural Sciences

Development of Fertilizer Reduction Technology Using Korea's First High-Precision Satellite Positioning Information (RTK-GNSS) (RDA)

 

LEE Jaejin, CEO, Sungchang Co., Ltd.

Extending Lifespan and Resource Circulation Power Supply through Reuse of Aging Solar Panels (MOTIR)

Group photo of all award recipients