South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT has begun a series of relay meetings to reflect views from research sites in the process of drafting the sixth science and technology master plan.

The ministry held a meeting on Wednesday afternoon chaired by Park In-kyu (박인규), head of the Science and Technology Innovation Office, to draw up the Sixth Science and Technology Master Plan (2026 to 2030). The master plan is the highest-level statutory plan in the science and technology field and is formulated under the Science and Technology Framework Act.

The meeting was the first of 4 on-site relay meetings. Industry, academia and research experts and early-career researchers discussed the science and technology innovation system as the main theme. Key topics included an R&D system that enables researchers to challenge and immerse themselves in innovative research without the burden of failure, measures to strengthen the competitiveness of universities, public research institutes and companies, and support systems for future generations of scientists and engineers, including young people.

In the discussion that followed, participants offered a range of views focused on improving evaluation systems to properly assess challenging research and on directions for administrative and institutional reforms that would allow researchers to focus on their work.

The ministry will continue meetings on themes including a major shift driven by artificial intelligence (AI), technology-led growth and growth for all. It will reflect and supplement opinions from the meetings in the master plan. It plans to finalise the plan after additionally gathering views from students and the general public through a public hearing.

Park said, "With the understanding that the answers to policy lie in the field, I will actively listen to in-depth opinions on the direction our country's science and technology should take."