South Korea and Italy will expand science and technology cooperation centred on three areas: artificial intelligence, climate change and bio, South Korea\'s Ministry of Science and ICT said. The two countries held the 13th Korea-Italy Joint Committee on Science and Technology in Rome with Italy\'s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. They reviewed outcomes from joint bio and chemistry research, discussed future agendas including physical AI semiconductors and climate-response crops, and explored broader cooperation on brain disease research. The next meeting will be held in Seoul.

South Korea\'s government plans to foster brain-computer interface (BCI) technology as a future core industry, aiming to take an early lead in an emerging brain-based sector. The Ministry of Science and ICT announced a joint interagency national research and development strategy covering mission-driven projects from 2027. It will pursue invasive BCI for intractable medical areas and non-invasive BCI for early commercialisation across fields including wearables, entertainment and defence, while also advancing brain-related drug development and data-driven brain models.