KEIT has focused on innovating the knowledge economy R&D support system to effectively manage the government's financial sources for R&D investment
The Korea Evaluation Institute of Technology(KEIT) under the Ministry of Knowledge Economy celebrated its second anniversary in May. The Ministry of Knowledge Economy integrated its six R&D-related organizations into KEIT on May 4, 2009. Since then, KEIT has performed its function to plan, evaluate and manage industrial R&D in order to strengthen Korea's competitiveness.
KEIT is playing a key role in many national R&D programs. This year, KEIT will fund close to two trillion won on R&D projects out of the ministry's total R&D investment budget of 4.5 trillion won. The organization not only distributes R&D budget, but also seeks future technologies through innovative processes. Furthermore, KEIT is advancing its R&D support system in order to encourage companies, research centers and universities to engage in R&D activities creatively through the entire R&D cycle, including planning, evaluation and management.
Over the past two years, KEIT has focused on innovating the knowledge economy R&D support system so as to manage the government's financial sources for R&D investment and maximize R&D investment. First of all, KEIT acquired the ISO 9001 certificate for planning, evaluation and management processes by standardizing its work processes. With an eye towards selecting better projects, KEIT has integrated and improved its pool of evaluators.
In addition, KEIT is constantly revising regulations in order to better incorporate technological demand so as to realize demand-oriented planning, and is also operating advanced evaluation methods such as NExt year Project Selection Analysis (NEPSA) and Technology Readiness Level (TRL).
At the same time, KEIT is striving to increase the efficiency of the government's R&D management, such as by offering a transparent research expense use environment by building a Real-time Cash Management System (RCMS). Meanwhile, its 3-Up KEIT campaign reflect the ideas of employees regarding the management of KEIT. KEIT has also practiced ethical management in order to enhance the ethical awareness of employees, as well as endeavored to form labor-management harmony and advanced labor-management relationships.
KEIT's main programs include the Industry Convergence Technology Development Program, the Components and Material Technology Development Program, the Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Technology Innovation Project, the World Premier Materials Program and the World Best Software Program. In particular, the World Best Software Project focuses on fostering demand for software in order to nurture IT and software companies.
In addition, KEIT is planning to seek leading global R&D resources and ideas by promoting joint international technological development with overseas research centers and companies in the Industry Convergence Technology Development Program and Specialized Global Excellent Technology Innovation Program.
The organization will expand its evaluation specialty by reforming knowledge economy R&D and positioning itself as a truly world-class R&D organization around three principles "Challenge", "Win-Win Growth", and "Trust" in accordance with the government's 2nd strategy to improve knowledge economy R&D innovation.
"R&D investment matters more as countries around the world are competing fiercely with technologies as weapons", said Seo Yeong-ju, president of KEIT. "Successful R&D investment considerably contributes to the development of the national economy and the enhancement of people's quality of life and creating good jobs, while externally elevating the status of Korea in the international community.