- Make bold investments in advanced technologies to explore and lead the future
- Secure future clean energy through ➊ small modular reactors (SMRs), ➋ fusion energy and ➌ renewable energy
- Advance Next AI and next-generation frontier technologies, including ➍ quantum technology, ➎ space and aviation and ❻ advanced biotechnology
- Build ❼ an advanced supply chain ecosystem encompassing critical minerals, materials, components and equipment to underpin Korea’s next great leap forward
- Complement the three MEGA projects with Seven SEED projects to make Korea indispensable on the global stage
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, convened a government-wide briefing on the “Seven SEED Projects for Future Growth” at Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday, August 12. At the event, private-sector experts offered recommendations on the importance of energy technologies and supply chains and the need to secure advanced technological capabilities. MSIT then unveiled plans for the seven SEED projects under the theme “Advanced Technologies: Engines for Pioneering the Future.”
* SEED: Strategic Emerging Engines for Disruptive innovation – Korea’s future growth engines requiring strategic investment to drive disruptive innovation
Models of a marine SMR, a quantum computer and a lunar-orbiting satellite were also displayed, demonstrating the government’s commitment to accelerating the development and commercialization of the advanced technologies represented by each SEED project.
[ Overview of the Seven SEED Projects ]
Amid a rapidly changing technological landscape, maintaining a decisive edge in Korea’s existing flagship industries alone will not be enough to ensure sustainable growth. Recognizing this, the government will begin investing today in the seeds of advanced technologies and foster them over the long term to create new growth engines for Korea over the next 10 to 20 years. The seven SEED projects constitute a national initiative to develop advanced technologies – the seeds of innovation and strategic assets for Korea’s economy and national security – into the countries future growth engines.
The projects span three broad areas. The first is future clean energy, which will address both soaring electricity demand driven by the AI revolution and the challenge of achieving carbon neutrality. The second is next-generation frontier technologies, which will push beyond the limits of current human capabilities. The third is advanced supply chains, encompassing critical minerals, materials, components and equipment that will underpin Korea’s next leap forward.
Details of the individual projects are as follows.
[ Future Clean Energy SEED Projects ]
❶ SMR : Commercialize light-water SMRs by 2035 and begin construction of non-light-water SMRs in the 2030s
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are carbon-free energy sources whose components can be manufactured in factories and assembled on-site, making them well suited to meeting growing electricity demand. Beginning in 2027, the public and private sectors will jointly undertake detailed SMR design. The government will also accelerate SMR demonstration by integrating the operation of large-scale facilities and equipment and applying advanced technologies such as digital twins. For non-light water SMRs in particular, the government plans to establish a special-purpose company jointly funded by the public and private sectors from the initial stage of development, with the aim of securing an early lead in the global market.
➋ Fusion Energy : Generate electricity in the 2030s through the development of a Korean innovative fusion reactor
Fusion energy, often described as a dream technology or an “artificial sun,” seeks to recreate on Earth the process by which the Sun generates energy, thereby providing a virtually limitless source of power. To shorten the development timeline for fusion reactors, the government will create an AI-powered virtual fusion reactor to automate and optimize reactor design and control. It will also establish infrastructure in Naju for the large-scale demonstration of key fusion reactors components and equipment.
➌ Breakthrough Renewable Energy : Accelerate the expansion of clean power for a fully electrified economy
The government will also work to establish technological leadership in next-generation renewable energy. In solar energy, it will accelerate the commercialization of perovskite tandem cells with efficiencies of at least 35 percent and proactively develop space-based solar power technologies for orbital data centers. In wind energy, the government will secure technologies for ultra-large turbines exceeding 20 MW and key floating wind systems. This will strengthen the design and manufacturing capabilities of Korean companies and develop wind energy into a next-generation export industry.
[ Next-Generation Frontier SEED Projects ]
➍ Quantum Technology : Secure a homegrown 100-qubit computer by 2029 and achieve world-leading quantum chip manufacturing capabilities by 2035
Quantum technology is both a general-purpose technology capable of overcoming the computational and energy limitations of AI and a strategic asset directly linked to national defense and security. It has the potential to drive innovation across all sectors. The government will focus on securing foundational technologies for the quantum processing unit (QPU), the core of a quantum computer, with the goal of developing a 100-qubit QPU with error-correction capabilities by 2029. Through a grand manufacturing challenge for homegrown quantum computers, Korea companies will also lead the development of a full-stack quantum computer incorporating every essential component – from quantum chips and control systems to operating software.
➎ Space and Aviation : Land on the Moon by 2030 and establish an independent low-Earth-orbit satellite communications network by 2035
Having become the world’s seventh country to explore the Moon, Korea plans to secure independent technological capabilities and lay the foundation for deep-space exploration through a series of missions. These include the launch of a lunar-orbit communications satellite in 2029, Korea’s first privately led lunar lander weighing approximately 700 kilograms in 2030, a space science probe in 2031 and a larger lunar lander weighing approximately 1,800 kilograms in 2032.
➏ Advanced Biotechnolgy : Establish AI-bio infrastructure by 2030 and commercialize brain-computer interface products by 2035
Advanced biotechnology will help overcome the biological limitations of the human body, transforming both our lives and the future industrial landscape. By 2030, the government will establish AI-bio infrastructure, including a cancer-specific Ai model capable of predicting changes in tumor tissue, autonomous laboratories operated by AI and robots, and biofoundries that design and produce biological systems. Using this infrastructure, the government aims to develop blockbuster drugs and enable the mass production of bioplastics, sustainable aviation fuel and other biomanufactured products.
[ SEED, Foundation for a Great Leap Forward ]
➐ Critical Minerals and Materials, Components and Equipment : Building an Advanced Supply Chain Ecosystem
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR) announced the Strategy for Establishing an Advanced Supply Chain Ecosystem as the seventh SEED project, aimed at overcoming Korea’s dependence on specific countries for critical minerals and materials, components and equipment that underpin the three mega-projects and emerging technologies, and expanding the momentum for a great leap forward in growth.
▲ First, for critical items that must be secured to address supply chain risks, Korea will enhance its domestic processing capabilities by developing refining and smelting technologies and resource recycling, aiming to boost the recycling rate of the top 10 critical minerals to 20% by 2030. The government will also rapidly establish a domestic production base by providing various forms of support, including subsidies and tax benefits.
▲ Second, for items that cannot be produced domestically due to resource scarcity, the government will significantly expand the number of stockpiled items from 24 to 29 and increase the maximum stockpile target from 180 days to 365 days. The Saemangeum Stockpiling Facility will start its operation in 2028, and supply chains will be diversified through summit diplomacy to further strengthen crisis response capabilities.
▲ Third, the government will invest KRW 10 trillion in R&D over five years for items requiring capacity enhancement. In particular, it plans to launch the 15 Growth Together Projects, with KRW 5 trillion to be invested over five years, providing dedicated support throughout the entire process—from forming a one-team partnership between anchor companies and partner companies, to technology development, demonstration, and entry into overseas markets.
▲ Finally, the government will comprehensively reform the governance system to secure overseas critical minerals through public-private cooperation. It will establish a public-private cooperation system through expert committee reviews of minerals with high supply risk and the creation of an Industrial Resource Security Fund, providing tailored support throughout the entire value chain, while seeking to restore the overseas business functions of dedicated institutions through their renewal.
[ Strengthening the Fundamentals of Industry-Academia-Research for Securing SEED ]
To ensure the success of the seven SEED projects, the capabilities of innovative actors across industry, academia, and research institutions that will secure and cultivate SEED will also be strengthened. First, to enhance the research competitiveness of universities, support for basic research will continue to expand, while a university-level support system (block funding) will be introduced to transform the research structure of universities. In line with the abolition of the project-based system (PBS), government-funded research institutes will be restructured as institutions responsible for carrying out national missions, such as the SEED projects.
Moreover, the government will promote deep-tech startups, foster industry innovators with advanced technologies, and strengthen the R&D capabilities of corporate research institutes. By introducing equity-based “investment-type R&D,” the government will create an ecosystem in which it grows together with companies.
Close cooperation among industry, academia, and research institutions is essential to ensure these projects go beyond mere technology development and evolve into future industries. Accordingly, the government plans to support industry, academia, and research institutions by dividing roles according to the characteristics of each SEED project so that they can together as one team.
[ Implementation Framework for the Seven SEED Projects ]
The government will establish an all-out, pan-government support system to accelerate the performance of the seven SEED projects. First, it plans to establish a public-private joint “Future Frontier Development Task Force (tentative),” led by the Deputy Prime Minister, and review detailed roadmaps and implementation progress for each project through the Meeting of Ministers Related to Science and Technology. In addition, the government plans to boldly reform institutional barriers, including laws and regulations, that hinder innovative R&D and the rapid technology commercialization.
Furthermore, the government aims to secure global leadership in future industries by providing sustained and stable support for the seven SEED projects, including by reinvesting capital generated through mega-projects such as semiconductors. Through these efforts, it will provide future generations with new opportunities to take on challenges and shape Korea into a country that no one can match.
For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division (Phone: +82-44-202-4034, E-mail: msitmedia@korea.kr) of the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Please refer to the attached PDF.