10-Year Investment of 450 Billion KRW to Secure Super-Gap Technology in Neuroscience

Government's 'Neuroscience Leading Convergence Technology Development Project' Passes Preliminary Feasibility Study, Set to Launch in Full Scale Next Year

▲There are calls for government support measures for neuroscience.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The government will invest 450 billion KRW over the next 10 years starting next year to secure cutting-edge brain science technology.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on the 31st that the "Brain Science Leading Convergence Technology Development Project" has passed the preliminary feasibility study and will be fully launched from next year.

This project aims to secure leading convergence technologies that can be immediately utilized in industries such as healthcare and manufacturing, based on foundational research capabilities in the brain science field. A total of 450 billion KRW will be invested over 10 years from 2023 to 2032. Specifically, the project plans to develop brain-computer interface technology that restores language communication functions through brainwave measurement, wearable electronic medicine that treats chronic brain diseases such as insomnia and headaches through electrical stimulation, and brain disease treatment technologies that reconstruct the brain nervous system.

In 28 fields including brain function and disease visualization technology, personalized non-invasive brain cortex stimulation technology, and neural network control brain disease treatment technology, 163 tasks were selected reflecting not only researchers' demands but also the needs of the medical and industrial sectors that will utilize the technology. Divided into market-leading and future-preemptive types, each task will receive annual support of 600 million to 1 billion KRW for up to 6 years. A 'Performance Consulting Committee' consisting of experts from industry, academia, research institutes, medical fields, and technology investment sectors will be formed to provide close support from the early research stages to ensure that individual research results can be immediately applied in industry and healthcare.

The Ministry of Science and ICT expects that through this project, more than 20 cutting-edge brain science leading convergence technologies will be secured, and new or emerging companies specializing in brain disease therapeutics and electronic medicine will arise, marking the full-fledged emergence of the domestic brain industry. It is also expected to serve as a turning point in conquering brain diseases such as stroke, depression, and schizophrenia caused by aging and intensified social competition, significantly reducing the social costs associated with brain diseases.

Lee Chang-yoon, Director of Basic and Fundamental Research Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "This project is meaningful in securing practical technologies that the public can feel by utilizing accumulated brain research achievements and research environments." He added, "Based on the preliminary feasibility study results, we will establish detailed project plans and promote this project to become a foundation for the development of the domestic brain industry."

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