Pan-Ministry to Inject 940 Billion Won... Full-Cycle Support for Advanced Medical Device R&D Begins in Earnest

Joint Initiative by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety... 106 New Projects to Be Announced for 2026

The Pan-Ministry Advanced Medical Device Research and Development Project, jointly promoted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, will be fully launched starting with the announcement of new projects for 2026. The government plans to invest 59.3 billion won next year alone to provide focused support for global flagship medical devices and the localization of essential medical devices.

On the 11th, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced that they will push ahead in earnest with the Pan-Ministry Advanced Medical Device Research and Development Project through the first call for new projects for 2026 and a project briefing session.

Foreign buyers are examining medical devices at the '2024 MediExpo Korea' held in June 2024. Photo provided by Yonhap News.

This project is a large-scale, cross-ministerial cooperation initiative that will inject a total of 940.8 billion won (838.3 billion won in government funds and 102.5 billion won in private funds) over seven years from 2026 to 2032. It aims to support the full cycle of medical device research and development, from basic and fundamental research to product development, clinical trials, and regulatory approval, thereby simultaneously driving the development of the world’s first and world-class medical devices and the localization of essential medical devices.

From world-first and world-class medical devices to localization of essential devices

In 2026, the first year of the project, 59.325 billion won in government funds will be invested to support a total of 106 new projects. The new projects were designed based on the results of the preliminary feasibility study for national R&D programs, global technology trends, and demand from the research field.

Specifically, they consist of five projects for global flagship medical devices (13.425 billion won), 68 projects for core medical device technologies and product development (35.55 billion won), and 33 projects for strengthening capabilities to enter clinical settings (10.35 billion won).

In the global flagship category, the project will promote the development of world-first technologies such as autonomously steering flexible endoscopes and implantable brain-AI-robot interface systems, as well as world-class medical devices such as whole-body digital PET, digital PCR, and radiation-based cancer treatment devices.

In the medical device core technology and product development category, the project will support the development of next-generation medical devices such as software-based medical devices, medical robots, and digital surgical assistance systems, along with the localization of essential medical devices such as ventilators for newborns and children. In the category of strengthening capabilities for entry into clinical settings, the project will focus on supporting domestic and overseas clinical trials, regulatory science evaluation technologies, and capabilities to respond to international standards.

Project briefing on the 13th... Encouraging participation from industry, academia, research institutes, and medical institutions

The call for new projects has been underway since the 6th and will run until March 9, and details can be found on the Integrated Research Support System for Pan-Ministry Programs (IRIS) and on the website of the Pan-Ministry Medical Device Research and Development Project Group.

On the 13th, the government will hold a project briefing session at EL Tower in Seocho-gu, Seoul, for researchers from industry, academia, research institutes, and medical institutions. At the session, it plans to explain the details of the new projects, the intent behind the planning of the Request for Proposals (RFP), and the selection and evaluation plans. Through on-site Q&A, the government intends to enhance researchers’ understanding and actively encourage their participation in the project.

A government official said, “We will provide focused support for the development of advanced medical devices based on close cooperation at the pan-ministry level and continuous communication with the research field,” adding, “We will enhance competitiveness in the global medical device market and foster the medical device industry as a new national growth engine.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.