- 16th Meeting of the Special Committee on Biotechnology under the Presidential Advisory Council on Science & Technology was held
- The Committee deliberated on "2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd National Plan for Management and Utilization of Biological Research Resources," "2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd 2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd National Research Strategy for Crisis Response to Infectious Diseases," and "2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd Master Plan for Fosterage of Health and Medical Service Technology"
On June 11th (Tuesday), the Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Lee Jong-ho, hereinafter "MSIT") held the 16th meeting of the Special Committee on Biotechnology (hereinafter "Bio Committee") under the Presidential Advisory Council on Science & Technology. Since its inception in 2016, the Bio Committee has been serving as the control tower for national bio R&D, overseeing and coordinating cross-ministerial bio R&D policies.
During the meeting, three agenda items were presented, deliberated, and resolved: △ the "2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd National Plan for Management and Utilization of Biological Research Resources," △ the "2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd National Research Strategy for Crisis Response to Infectious Diseases," and △ the "2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd Master Plan for Fosterage of Health and Medical Service Technology."
The main content of the agenda items discussed at this meeting is as follows:
[Agenda Item 1 (for deliberation): 2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd National Plan for Management and Utilization of Biological Research Resources]
The first agenda item is the "2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd National Plan for Management and Utilization of Biological Research Resources." The plan includes the performance results for 2023 and the implementation plan for 2024 of the master plan established in 2020 under the Article 7 of the "Act on the Acquisition, Management, and Utilization of Biological Research Resources,"
For the execution of the 2023 implementation plan, a total of KRW 183 billion was invested by 11 ministries and agencies (KRW 152.9 billion in materials, KRW 30.1 billion in data). Key achievements include amending the "Act on the Acquisition, Management, and Utilization of Biological Research Resources” to establish the definition of "biological research data" (announced in February 2024), and improving laws and systems related to the management and utilization of biological research resources. In addition, an integrated bio-materials platform (BioOne) was established and pilot-operated by linking specialized portals for bio-material clusters to enable the search for and application for sale of bio-material-related information (efficacy, genome, papers, etc.) on microorganisms, natural products, cultured cells, etc. Furthermore, the Korean Biological Data Station (K-BDS), a cross-ministerial bio data sharing platform that started operations in 2022, was strengthened by linking it with the data centers of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Rural Development Administration, and the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency.
In 2024, a total of KRW 202.5 billion will be invested (KRW 119.6 billion in materials, KRW 82.9 billion in data), an increase of approximately 10.7% compared to 2023. To establish the foundation for the utilization of bio-research data, amendments to the enforcement decree and the establishment of enforcement rules following the revision of the "Act on the Acquisition, Management, and Utilization of Biological Research Resources" will be pursued. The Ministry of Environment's data center will also be linked with the K-BDS to strengthen the foundation for the utilization of bio-research data. Additionally, efforts will be made to establish a data bank and build bio big data, including clinical and genomic data, to innovate the precision medicine industry. For bio-materials, the integrated bio-materials platform (BioOne) will be officially operated, improving access to material information and promoting the utilization of bio-materials by establishing additional specialized portals for clusters like wildlife. Efforts will also continue to enhance communication with industry for fostering sustainable public-private cooperation in the field of biological research resources and to cultivate specialized human resources tailored to field demands.
[Agenda Item 2 (for deliberation): 2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd 2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd National Research Strategy for Crisis Response to Infectious Diseases]
The second agenda item is the "2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd 2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd National Research Strategy for Crisis Response to Infectious Diseases." This plan includes the performance results for 2023 and the implementation plan for 2024 of the strategy established in October 2021 under the "Infectious Disease Control and Prevention Act."
For execution of the 2023 implementation plan, a total of KRW 372.4 billion was allocated by eight ministries and agencies. Key achievements in 2023 include enhancing the management of infectious disease R&D outcomes by establishing a classification system for infectious disease-related technologies and a dashboard for infectious disease R&D within NTIS. Additionally, efforts were made to secure core technologies for overcoming infectious disease crises by establishing a rapid development system for major infectious disease vaccines and promoting localization of the mRNA platform and essential vaccines for mandatory immunization. To expand the infectious disease research cooperation ecosystem, national initiatives supported research on post-COVID-19 conditions and big data-based multi-omics. An integrated information system for advanced future quarantine measures was also established.
In 2024, approximately KRW 266.7 billion will be invested in R&D to execute the implementation plan. With the conclusion of COVID-19-related projects, the investment in infectious disease-related R&D has decreased compared to the previous year. The focus will be on establishing R&D roadmaps for developing vaccines and therapeutics for priority novel and variant infectious diseases within 100 days and 200 days. To support this, a crisis response manual centered on the consultative groups for infectious disease research institutions and related new project planning will be promoted. Research infrastructure, including clinical research centers for infectious diseases and vaccine safety technology support centers, will be expanded. Efforts will also be made to secure clinical prediction technologies through the operation of a national preclinical trial support system based on preclinical data for infectious diseases. International cooperation will be strengthened by establishing overseas research bases centered on Asia and Africa, building networks for collaborative research with leading institutions, and enhancing international network activities through WHO collaborating centers. To enhance future quarantine systems, AI-based surveillance and prediction platforms, and diagnostic platforms will be developed to prevent the importation and spread of infectious diseases.
[Agenda Item 3 (for reporting): 2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd Master Plan for Fosterage of Health and Medical Service Technology]
The third agenda item is the "2024 Implementation Plan for the 3rd Master Plan for Fosterage of Health and Medical Service Technology (2023-2027)." The Master Plan for Fosterage of Health and Medical Service Technology, established every five years in accordance with the "Health and Medical Service Technology Promotion Act," is the top-level plan in the field of health and medical technology. It aims to realize the vision of " Healthcare 4.0 Era for Healthy Korea" by supporting essential medical and vaccine-related research to enhance health security, and fostering new bio-health industries.
In 2023, a total of KRW 2.1397 trillion was invested in health and medical technology R&D by 11 ministries. Major achievements include nine technology transfer agreements worth a total of KRW 3.383 trillion, including three agreements worth over KRW 400 billion each. Other accomplishments include the acquisition of domestic and international certifications for digital therapeutic devices and the approval of phase 1 and phase 1a/1b clinical trials for dementia treatments. In addition, AI-based models for predicting cardiac arrest in critically ill patients and massive transfusions during surgery were developed in essential medical fields.
In 2024, a total of KRW 2.2097 trillion will be invested, an increase of 3.7% compared to 2023, accounting for about 10% of the total major R&D in the country. The focus will be on expanding R&D investments centered on originality and excellence in four strategic areas of the 3rd Master Plan for Fosterage of Health and Medical Service Technology.
① Protecting public life and health: KRW 376.4 billion
② Establishing health security: KRW 348.8 billion
③ Fostering new bio-health industries: KRW 1.1213 trillion
④ Creating an innovative R&D ecosystem: KRW 363.1 billion
There will be active investment in R&D to address emerging social issues, such as solving mental health problems like drug addiction and suicide, improving the quality of life for the elderly and disabled in response to a super-aged society, and developing infertility treatment technologies to overcome low birth rates. Moreover, an ambitious and innovative R&D system will be introduced in the health and medical field to tackle national challenges that could pose future threats, such as pandemics and unsolved diseases. Projects such as the Korean ARPA-H project will be pursued, and efforts will be made to expand global joint research aimed at being the first and best in the world, establishing research cooperation networks with leading countries in the biotechnology field.
Ryu Kwang Jun, Vice Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, emphasized the importance of discussing policy directions by bringing together various stakeholders in the biotechnology field, which requires cooperation between the public and private sectors. He stated, "Through the Bio Committee, the government will continue to consolidate and coordinate bio R&D policies to enhance investments at the national level."
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.
