Full-scale support for new technology-based ICT convergence challenges
| 3 months of preliminary planning, 18 months of technology development support
Support for creating new ICT markets, support for the advancement of core ICT technologies

Leading and challenging convergence technology development by ICT SMEs is being promoted.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 31st that it has finally selected and will proceed with 18 technology development projects for the 2019 ICT Innovation Enterprise Technology Development Support Project.

The 'ICT Innovation Enterprise Technology Development Support Project' is a new initiative launched this year to support the development of convergence technologies based on new future ICT technologies for small and medium-sized ICT companies in order to proactively respond to the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

This project selects and supports projects in stages, consisting of Stage 1 (preliminary planning for 3 months) and Stage 2 (technology development for 18 months), to enhance the technology development and commercialization outcomes of supported projects.

Simultaneously, it is divided into 'Support for Creating New ICT Markets (Track 1),' which supports challenges to create new markets in convergence fields between ICT and other industries (medical, manufacturing, mobility, energy, finance/logistics, Cities, and agriculture/fisheries), and 'Support for Advancement of Core ICT Technologies (Track 2),' aimed at the advancement and foundation strengthening of the six major ICT technology fields (future communications/radio waves, SW/AI, broadcasting/content, next-generation security, devices, and blockchain/convergence). Support of up to 750 million won (Track 1) and 450 million won (Track 2) will be provided over two years.

The Ministry of Science and ICT began the project announcement on January 2 of this year and selected 40 projects for the first stage of preliminary planning last March. This time, it reviewed the projects that passed the first stage and selected the second stage of technology projects.

The project selection was conducted through fierce competition (competition ratio of 11.6:1, a total of 209 projects) amidst high interest from the domestic ICT industry,

In the preliminary planning stage, support was provided for sophisticated preliminary planning tasks, such as concretizing commercialization strategies and establishing patent strategies, to enhance the success rate of commercialization. Additionally, specialized preliminary planning support agencies were utilized when necessary to enable the strategic and specific formulation of technology development (Stage 2) plans.

Next, based on the results of the preliminary planning for the projects selected in Stage 1, the excellence of the detailed strategies for technology development and commercialization was evaluated to finally select the projects for Stage 2 support, and full-scale support for technology development will be provided for the selected projects over the next 18 months.

The selected projects include 'Development of an Extended Reality (XR)-based Intelligent (AI) Management Support System for On-site Support and Remote Collaboration in the Construction Sector (ICT+Manufacturing)' and 'Development of a Self-Directed Smart Healthcare System for Amputees and Paralyzed Persons (ICT+Medical),' and are expected to lead the intelligentization and advancement of industrial sectors through convergence based on future new technologies.

Yong Hong-taek, Director General of Information and Communication Industry Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, “The role of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the ICT sector, equipped with potential and technological competitiveness, is crucial for proactively responding to the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” adding, “I hope that through this project, domestic ICT SMEs will enhance their technology development capabilities and grow continuously to contribute to building a robust ICT industry ecosystem.”le="text-align: center;">
Status of Selected Projects for the ICT Innovation Enterprise Technology Development Support Program