"130 Trillion Won European R&D Market Opens"... 28 Korean Research Teams Make First Entry into Horizon Europe

Full-Scale Participation as an Associate Member
A Catalyst for Expanding Global Research Networks

With 28 Korean research teams participating in the European Union (EU)'s large-scale research and development (R&D) program "Horizon Europe," the landscape of global cooperation in Korea's research community is expanding in earnest. This marks the country's effective entry into the international joint research market, which is worth approximately 130 trillion won.

On March 19, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it held the "Horizon Europe Participating Researchers Forum" at the Seoul Science and Technology Convention Center, where it shared the achievements of Korean researchers' participation and discussed future strategies.

Event poster. Provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT

28 Korean Research Teams Selected... Participation from Seoul National University, ETRI, SK Telecom, and Others

Horizon Europe is the world's largest research and innovation program, implemented by the EU from 2021 to 2027 with a budget of approximately 95.5 billion euros (about 130 trillion won). It supports joint research across a wide range of areas—including health, digital, and climate—based on global collaboration among researchers.

Korea joined as an associate member in the "Global Challenges and Industrial Competitiveness" area (Pillar II) last year, and began full-scale participation starting this year.

So far, a total of 28 Korean research teams have been identified as participants, including major institutions from academia, industry, and research, such as Seoul National University, Yonsei University, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), the Korea Polar Research Institute, and SK Telecom. However, since the results for each project are being announced sequentially, the official participation record will be finalized as additional teams are confirmed.

"Global Cooperation Is Essential"... Discussion of Participation Strategies and On-site Challenges

The forum brought together researchers selected in various fields—such as health and medical, digital and industry, and food and bioeconomy—to share their hands-on experiences and cooperation know-how.

During the presentations, a variety of research project cases and anticipated outcomes were introduced, including genome-based cell therapy, the Korea-EU bilateral digital partnership, and the exploration and optimization of natural product production.

In the subsequent panel discussion, chaired by Professor Hongki Kim of Seoul National University, participants discussed the challenges encountered in engaging with multilateral research programs and strategies for the future. Key issues raised included building global research networks, strengthening proposal writing capabilities, and the administrative burden of participating in international joint research.

Hwang Seonghoon, Director General for International Cooperation at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "Participation in Horizon Europe is an important opportunity to enhance our research competitiveness by leveraging global research networks," adding, "We will strengthen our support to enable more Korean researchers to participate."

Additional announcements regarding Horizon Europe project selections are scheduled for the first half of the year. Related information can be found at the "Korea-EU Research Innovation Day," to be held at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul on March 24, and on the Korea Research Foundation's website.

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