[Digital Today reporter Jin-ho Lee] The government will create a stable research foundation for young postdoctoral researchers and support industry-academia joint research in national strategic technology fields.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said on Saturday it selected 13 new consortia for its 2026 Strategic Technology Postdoctoral Industry-Academia Project.

Under the project, companies identify technology demand across 12 national strategic technology fields and form consortia with universities and government-funded research institutes to carry out joint research tasks. Postdoctoral researchers, affiliated with universities or government-funded institutes, play a core role in the joint research. Selected consortia will receive up to 580 million won over two years, including personnel costs for postdoctoral researchers.

The ministry will also run an "industry-academia-research one-team consultative body". Through the body, it will share joint research results and commercialisation experience and support cooperation among consortia and the spread of outcomes. It will also expand opportunities for exchanges between postdoctoral researchers and companies. It will support researchers so they can deepen their understanding of companies and industrial sites and explore the possibility of moving into industry in the future.

A total of 65 consortia applied for the programme, which started for the first time this year, resulting in a competition rate of 5 to 1. The ministry selected recipients after a comprehensive evaluation of the research capabilities of universities, government-funded institutes and participating companies, the division of roles by institution, commercialisation potential, plans to use postdoctoral researchers and measures to support their entry into industry.

The selected consortia will conduct joint research in national strategic technology fields including AI, advanced bio, secondary batteries, semiconductors and displays, aerospace and ocean, hydrogen and next-generation communications. Consortia based in the Seoul metropolitan area, as well as in the Chungcheong, Yeongnam and Gangwon regions, were also selected under the programme. The ministry expects this to contribute to fostering regional strategic technology research hubs and revitalising industry-academia-research cooperation.

Lee Jun-bae (이준배), director-general for Future Talent Policy at the ministry, said, "We will continue to expand the research environment so young researchers can focus on research in a stable way and create innovation together with companies."