The gross national R&D investment of South Korea encompassing both the public and private sectors is at a world-leading level. However, many in the R&D field have pointed out that the nation is faced with a crisis of innovation due to expanded R&D investment without proper strategies. For this reason, the South Korean government established the “Government’s R&D Innovation Policy” in May in an attempt to transform the nation into a first mover in R&D through overhauling the R&D system.
This report assessed the government’s national R&D policy governance, R&D program management system, and R&D financial operations, thus exploring suggestions for an effective national R&D policy and support system and financial operations to shift into an innovation-driven R&D scheme.
The assessment results are as follows. According to the evaluation of the national R&D policy governance, first, the higher-level coordination body for national R&D policies needs to be granted greater coordination authority through elevating its status and operating an independent secretariat. Second, as national R&D management agencies have sprung up at random, they should be unified by area and must secure a stable financial source. Third, the integration of science and technology institutions that support policy development needs to be delayed and alternative options should be explored to boost the functions of science and technology policies.
In terms of the national R&D program management system, the evaluation results show that to secure fairness in selecting and evaluating R&D projects, the exclusion criteria of evaluation members should also apply to those who participate in R&D planning while also implementing a post measure by enhancing the punishment level for corrupt activities. Second, the Regulations on National R&D Program Management need to be promoted to an act, and overlapping regulations across ministries should be revamped. Third, the reliability of the mid-term evaluation of national R&D programs has to be enhanced, and the scope of the specific evaluation system needs to be extended.
Finally, in the assessment on the national R&D financial operations, first, it turned out that the government overestimated the R&D investment amount. Therefore, it is necessary to review the adequacy of the estimation. Second, the 19 sectors of future growth engines should be re-adjusted, and the linkage between policies and budget needs to be reinforced. Third, the higher-level coordination body needs to play a more significant role in allocating the governmental R&D funding, while also taking up a leadership position.
This report assessed the government’s national R&D policy governance, R&D program management system, and R&D financial operations, thus exploring suggestions for an effective national R&D policy and support system and financial operations to shift into an innovation-driven R&D scheme.
The assessment results are as follows. According to the evaluation of the national R&D policy governance, first, the higher-level coordination body for national R&D policies needs to be granted greater coordination authority through elevating its status and operating an independent secretariat. Second, as national R&D management agencies have sprung up at random, they should be unified by area and must secure a stable financial source. Third, the integration of science and technology institutions that support policy development needs to be delayed and alternative options should be explored to boost the functions of science and technology policies.
In terms of the national R&D program management system, the evaluation results show that to secure fairness in selecting and evaluating R&D projects, the exclusion criteria of evaluation members should also apply to those who participate in R&D planning while also implementing a post measure by enhancing the punishment level for corrupt activities. Second, the Regulations on National R&D Program Management need to be promoted to an act, and overlapping regulations across ministries should be revamped. Third, the reliability of the mid-term evaluation of national R&D programs has to be enhanced, and the scope of the specific evaluation system needs to be extended.
Finally, in the assessment on the national R&D financial operations, first, it turned out that the government overestimated the R&D investment amount. Therefore, it is necessary to review the adequacy of the estimation. Second, the 19 sectors of future growth engines should be re-adjusted, and the linkage between policies and budget needs to be reinforced. Third, the higher-level coordination body needs to play a more significant role in allocating the governmental R&D funding, while also taking up a leadership position.