[DigitalToday reporter Jin-ho Lee] The Ministry of Science and ICT is moving ahead in earnest with support for new tasks under the 2026 R&D special zone fostering program.

The ministry said on May 11 the 2026 program focuses on full-cycle growth of companies, from demonstration and investment through global expansion, to revitalise regional deep tech startups and speed up commercialisation of public research results. Total support is 51.2 billion won.

A total of 174 companies and others in five metropolitan special zones - Daedeok, Gwangju, Daegu, Busan and North Jeolla - selected through a call for proposals and evaluation, are eligible. The support is centred on deep tech and national strategic technology fields including AI (32 percent), advanced bio (16 percent), semiconductors and displays (8 percent), advanced robotics (8 percent) and secondary batteries (7 percent).

Sixty companies selected for the "Strategic Technology Research Results Commercialisation Support" program under the initiative will pursue startups, technology transfer and commercialisation based on public technologies in 12 national strategic technology fields. They will receive support across commercialisation, including proof of concept, prototype production and functional advancement, and establishment of investment strategies.

Sixty-nine companies selected for the "Regional Innovation Demonstration Scale-up" program will carry out on-site demonstration and performance verification of products and services by linking with a regulatory sandbox based on each zone's specialised areas and regional industrial demand. They will also receive R&BD funding for market entry.

Fifteen technology transfer and commercialisation specialist institutions selected through "Strategic Technology Discovery and Startup Support" will identify strong technologies at research institutions and universities in the zones and, by linking with demand companies, support technology transfer, commercialisation and startups. Nineteen implementing organisations selected through "Innopolis Campus" will carry out talent development support, including capability building for employees of zone companies by region and provision of internship programmes.

The new "Research Institute Company Strategic Fostering" program, being 추진 this year, will focus support on early-stage research institute companies. It will have 11 selected research institute companies conduct commercialisation research jointly with research institutions that hold source technologies for commercialisation to accelerate market entry.

Eun-young Lee (이은영), director general for Research Results and Innovation at the ministry, said R&D special zones are developing into key hubs driving regional innovative growth based on deep tech and strategic technologies. She added that in 2026 the ministry will further accelerate technology diffusion and commercialisation.