(SEOUL=NEWSIS) The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) announced April 12 the K-ICT SW Global Leading Strategy to boost Korea’s software technology prowess from the current 73 percent to a level that would be 80 percent of that of the United States by 2017 and to expand the number of global software companies and open source software that enables the rapid development of software at a low cost.

The K-ICT SW Global Leading Strategy focuses on revamping the software research and development (R&D) structure to promote source technology development and challenging R&D projects.

The ministry plans to strengthen Korea’s software fundamentals to meet the global level. It will select eight areas from software basic technology, including operating systems and intelligent software, and support university research laboratories until 2017 to build 25 software star labs. It will also take a top-down approach for software source technology.

For startup-oriented software R&D projects, the ministry will simplify the application process used to help startups commercialize their ideas into products.

The ministry will carry out a market-oriented R&D project, one that capitalizes on the capabilities of investors to select and incubate markets, for companies with growth potential. It will also promote a global creative software project that provides one-stop support for domestic software companies entering the global market.

"The K-ICT SW Global Leading Strategy aims to globalize the Korean software industry, which has been confined to the domestic market. We will strive to bring the results of the creative economy to the software sector," said MSIP Minister Choi Yanghee.

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