"September 7 Designated as Technology Developers' Day"

Ministry of Science and ICT Announces Legislative Notice of Enforcement Decree for Corporate Research Institute Act
Details Regulatory Relaxations and Support Measures

The legal framework to promote corporate research and development (R&D) has taken concrete shape.

On September 29, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced the legislative notice of the Enforcement Decree for the "Act on Support for Research and Development of Corporate Research Institutes, etc.," which will take effect on February 1 next year. The ministry has specified regulatory easing and support measures that have long been sought by the corporate research sector.

The core of this new decree is focused on boosting morale among corporate researchers and addressing challenges faced in the R&D field.

First, to commemorate the day when the number of in-house corporate research institutes in Korea surpassed 10,000, September 7 will be officially designated as "Technology Developer's Day" every year. This is a symbolic measure for the nation to recognize the contributions of corporate researchers, who have played a key role in economic growth but have often been overlooked, and to enhance their sense of pride.

Key regulations that have been a major concern for the field will also be significantly relaxed. Graduate students in master's programs participating in national R&D projects will now be recognized as dedicated research staff, which is expected to ease workforce shortages for small and venture businesses.

The requirement that research spaces be separated only by fixed walls will be relaxed, allowing movable walls to be recognized as independent research spaces. This aims to help startups and small-scale research institutes create more flexible research environments.

Minister of Science and ICT Baek Kyunghoon stated, "This subordinate legislation will serve as a foundation for building a responsible, private sector-led R&D ecosystem," adding, "During the legislative notice period, we will thoroughly gather a wide range of opinions from the field to ensure the system is implemented effectively."

This legislative notice will undergo a 40-day public comment period from September 29 to November 10 before being finalized.

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