The Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) is setting specific missions and deadlines to address the nation's immediate challenges and is concentrating its capabilities to achieve them.

ETRI announced on the 20th that it has selected six key strategic technologies to promote digital innovation for the nation and society, and will begin full-scale mission-oriented R&D to achieve assigned missions within the deadline.

The six key strategic technologies are artificial intelligence semiconductors and computing, security technology, AI/software, 6G communication, metaverse, and digital convergence technology.

This is a plan to generate world-class achievements through continuous communication with the government and external experts by identifying and operating the 'ETRI Top Challenge Project,' which sets world-class challenging research goals and deadlines centered on national missions and assumes direct responsibility for generating results by the President and the Director of the Research Institute.

Mission-oriented R&A to be achieved through the digital innovation R&D announced by ETRI this timeThe responsibility and performance objectives of mp;D are as follows.

It was stated that the national mission of research and development in the field of AI semiconductors and computing is to solve super-intelligent problems across society and industry using AI computers/semiconductors made with our own technology, with the vision of game-changing in the field of AI computing, and the development of PetaFlops-class artificial intelligence Process-in-Memory (PIM) semiconductor technology will be pursued by 2025.

In the field of security technology, we will focus on developing 'blockchain-based metaverse authentication security technology with over 98% accuracy' and 'world-class real-virtual fusion 3D image metaverse technology' by 2025 to lead an intelligent information society that guarantees reliability.

In the field of AI and software, with the vision of building a Korea that best utilizes artificial intelligence, we are pursuing the development of robot intelligence technology that is integrated into intelligent robots to enable autonomous behavior, including conversation and gestures, while interacting with humans.

Regarding 6G communication, we plan to proactively realize a hyper-connected three-dimensional communication world and utilize it as social infrastructure (SOC) for the digital age. To this end, we will promote the construction of a three-dimensional network that integrates terrestrial and satellite networks to provide stable ultra-wide-area 6G services without blind spots.

Regarding metaverse technology, we aim to be at the forefront of realizing barrier-free education and training, equitable healthcare, immersive entertainment, efficient manufacturing and production, and business through ultra-realistic technology. To this end, we are leveraging the world's best real-virtual fused stereoscopic metaverse technology to stand at the forefront of building a more realistic stereoscopic image and a more brilliant K-Metaverse.

The field of digital convergence technology focuses on research in advanced mobility and ICT healthcare. First, the plan is to present an ICT vision for advanced air mobility to solve chronic traffic congestion by developing the 'Future Air Mobility Platform (AdAM-P)' by 2025 through advanced mobility research, which can fly safely under various urban conditions such as weather, radio interference, and dead zones. This signifies that South Korea will usher in an era of unmanned Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations led by the nation, utilizing top-tier technology.

In the ICT healthcare sector, we are taking on the challenge of developing 'non-invasive/bloodless continuous glucose monitoring technology' that helps overcome diabetes through easy blood sugar management in daily life, and a 'real-time cancer cell diagnostic molecular endoscope' capable of diagnosing cancer with a single optical scan without contrast agents or biopsies.

Regarding research involving collaborative R&D with other institutions, particularly quantum technology, ETRI has decided to establish its institutional identity as a driver of quantum technology industrialization, acting as the leading institution for the development of core source technologies necessary for industrialization.

ETRI President Bang Seung-chan stated, “We will take the lead in securing national strategic technologies and digital innovation technologies so that the institute can become a technological pioneer leading a happy future world through digital innovation. Furthermore, we will lead innovation as a performance-oriented research organization that solves missions required at the national level.”