<기사제목>Na Kyunghwan, Vice President for Industry-Academic Cooperation at Dankook University, Appointed Head of R&D Strategy Planning at Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] On the 5th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that it has appointed Na Kyunghwan, Vice President of Industry-Academia Cooperation at Dankook University and an expert in small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) research and development (R&D), as the Head of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy R&D Strategic Planning Group.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy R&D Strategic Planning Group was established in April 2010 as a think tank for discovering future growth engines. The first head was Hwang Changgyu, Chairman of KT; the second was Park Heejae, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Seoul National University; and the third was Baek Mangi, Patent Attorney at Kim & Chang Law Firm. Na, the newly appointed head, will serve a two-year term with the possibility of a two-year renewal.

Before being appointed Vice President of Industry-Academia Cooperation at Dankook University, Na served as the President of the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology. He is a full member of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea and a private member of the National Science and Technology Council. He is an expert who has worked based on the belief that the foundation of our economy is SMEs, and the foundation of SMEs is technology. He holds the philosophy that it is important not only to focus on advanced core technologies but also for SMEs to immediately commercialize and create new business models.

Na explained, "To respond efficiently to the recent rapid changes in the technological innovation environment, it is very urgent to overcome the rigidity and discontinuity of the existing R&D management system at an early stage," adding, "The linkage between scientific and technological achievements and economic outcomes through this can determine the future national competitiveness."

He stated, "Through the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy’s R&D, we will organize related systems so that companies can practically generate economic results," and "We will strive to establish a new industrial technology innovation system of cooperation and linkage, including universities and public research institutes."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is in the process of appointing an investment director (MD) to establish the 4th Strategic Planning Group system. Once the MD appointment is completed, the 4th Strategic Planning Group system is scheduled to be officially launched next month.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.