Government Kicks Off 900 Billion Won "Inter-ministerial Advanced Medical Device R&D" Program

Support for 106 New Projects Over Seven Years
Promoting Global Flagship Development and Localization of Essential Medical Devices

Yonhap News

The government is launching a full-scale initiative to develop advanced medical devices and localize the production of essential medical devices through an inter-ministerial cooperation program worth 900 billion won. By supporting the entire research and development (R&D) cycle, it aims to strengthen competitiveness in the global market and foster the medical device industry as a new national growth engine.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on the 11th that they will fully roll out the "Inter-ministerial Advanced Medical Device R&D Program" through the first 2026 call for new projects and a project briefing session.

This program is a large-scale cooperative project that will invest a total of 940.8 billion won (838.3 billion won in government funds and 102.5 billion won in private funds) over seven years from 2026 to 2032. It supports the entire medical device R&D cycle, from basic and foundational research to commercialization, clinical trials, and regulatory approval, with the goal of developing world-first or world-leading global flagship medical devices and localizing essential medical devices.

In the first year of the program, which is this year, the government plans to invest 59.325 billion won in state funds to support 106 new projects. The research objectives of the new projects were specified based on the planning results of the preliminary feasibility study for the national R&D program, which passed in August 2025, reflecting global technology trends and feedback from the research field.

In detail, five projects will be selected in the "Global Flagship Medical Devices" category, with 13.425 billion won in support. These include world-first technologies such as autonomously steering flexible endoscopes and implantable in-body brain-AI-robot real-time interlocking systems, as well as the development of world-class equipment such as whole-body digital PET, digital PCR, and radiation cancer treatment devices.

In the "Core Technologies and Product Development for Medical Devices" category, 35.55 billion won will be invested in 68 projects. These include 21 product development projects such as diagnostic systems for degenerative brain diseases and digital surgical assistance robot collaboration systems; 10 "relay" projects that link existing medical device R&D outcomes to commercialization; 30 basic and foundational projects on software-based medical devices and medical robots; and 7 projects aimed at localizing essential medical devices such as ventilators for newborns and children.

For the category aimed at strengthening the ability to enter the clinical field, 10.35 billion won has been allocated to 33 projects. These consist of 12 projects supporting domestic and overseas clinical trials, and 21 projects focused on developing customized regulatory science evaluation technologies and supporting international standards.

The call for new projects will run until March 9, and detailed information can be found via the Inter-ministerial Integrated Research Support System (IRIS) and the website of the Inter-ministerial Medical Device R&D Program Office.

The government will also hold a project briefing session for researchers on the 13th at EL Tower in Seocho-gu, Seoul, jointly organized by the relevant ministries. The session will provide information on the details of the new project call, the intent behind the planning of the Request for Proposals (RFP), and the selection and evaluation plans, and will gather on-site feedback through a Q&A session.

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