1. Reasons for Enactment

As Special Act on Promotion of National Strategic Technologies (Act No. 19236, promulgated on March 21, 2023 and to be enforced on September 22, 2023) was enacted to select strategically important technologies at the national level in consideration of the national economy, security, and creation of new industries and to foster and support national capabilities in all directions in order to secure technological leadership in the global competition for technological hegemony, this enactment aims to determine matters delegated by the Act and matters necessary for their implementation.

2. Major Provisions

A. Establishment of a master plan for promoting national strategic technologies and its implementation plans (Articles 3 through 5)

Prescribe matters necessary for the establishment and promotion of a master plan and implementation plans, such as specifying the procedure for a master plan for promoting national strategic technologies and its implementation plans.

B. Selection, management, and verification of national strategic technologies (Articles 6 through 8)

Specify criteria and procedures for selection, modification, or deselection of national strategic technologies, and prescribe the procedures and methods necessary for verifying national strategic technologies.

C. Designation and operation of a national strategic technology policy support institution (Article 9)

Specify the procedure for designating a policy support institution for general business support such as the establishment and coordination of national strategic technology promotion policies.

D. Promotion of national strategic technology R&D projects, etc. (Articles 10 through 12)

Prescribe matters necessary for the designation and promotion of national strategic technology R&D projects and special cases, and specify the designation requirements of specialized institutions to promote the spread of achievements.

E. Establishment of foundation for promoting national strategic technologies (Articles 13 through 16)

Specify the matters related to methods for managing knowledge and information, methods for surveying and analyzing the status, implementation and support of pilot projects, and promotion of standardization projects, related to national strategic technologies.

F. Designation, etc., of national strategic technology-specialized research institutes (Article 17)

Specify matters necessary for the designation and operation of specialized research institutes such as designation requirements, designation procedures, and designation cancellation of a specialized research institute.

G. Support, etc., for the establishment of corporate joint research institutes (Article 18)

Specify the eligibility of the establishment of a corporate joint research institute, and in cases of preparing and submitting a plan for the establishment and operation of a corporate joint research institute, stipulate that expenses necessary for foundation creation and the establishment be supported within budgetary limits.

H. Designation, operation, etc., of an institution specialized in challenging R&D (Article 19)

Specify the eligibility of being designated as institutions specialized in challenging R&D, allow a general project manager to participate in from the planning of projects and tasks, and prescribe that specific matters necessary for the operation and support be delegated and determined by Notice.

I. Organization and support of regional technology innovation hubs (Article 20)

Specify the requirements for the composition of a regional technology innovation hub, the procedure, and method for establishing an operation plan, and prescribe requirements for cost support, etc.

J. Nurturing workforce, etc., in the field of national strategic technologies (Articles 21-24)

Specify the procedure for designating an institution specialized in workforce nurturing support and the timing and method of workforce supply and demand trend surveys, and specify the requirements necessary for the designation and operation of national strategic technology-specialized educational institutions, support details, and designation cancellation procedures, etc.

K. Notification in response to requests for provision of information from foreign governments, etc. (Article 25)

Prescribe that in cases where the information publicly notified as strategic research tasks designated as security ones or information that has a significant impact on the national economy and national security is requested from a foreign government, etc., the fact shall be notified to the head of relevant central administrative agency.

L. Implementation and support, etc., of international cooperation (Article 28)

In cases of implementing projects related to international cooperation, prioritize implementing jointly funded projects, and specify cases of supporting overseas research institutes with joint funding.