Korean Media: South Korea's R&D Expenditure Growth Rate Is Second Only to China in the Past 20 Years!
On July 30, the Korean media "Chosun Ilbo" published an article stating that a survey shows that over the past 20 years, South Korea's R&D expenditure growth rate ranks second only to China, but the number of "high-quality" research papers frequently cited by other researchers has not increased. The number of highly cited papers dropped from 12th last year to 13th this year, and analysts said this is a disappointing result compared to the investment.
The report titled "Trends in R&D and Innovation in Major Countries" released by the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Evaluation and Planning (KISTEP) contains the above content.
Analysis shows that since 2003, South Korea's R&D investment growth rate has ranked second globally. China maintains an annual R&D investment growth rate of about 14%, while South Korea's growth rate is close to 8%.
South Korea and Israel are both countries with high R&D intensity. Although South Korea's absolute R&D investment is smaller compared to the United States and China, its R&D investment as a percentage of GDP is higher. As of 2023, the government's R&D intensity in South Korea was 1.13%, ranking first in the world. The United States was 0.65%, and China was 0.44%.
Investment in basic science is also leading. South Korea ranks second after Switzerland. The research team explained that basic research requires long-term investment, indicating the country's sustained interest in R&D, and due to the uncertainty of results, high risk, high return, and long-term nature, it has a deeper relationship with government investment than private investment.
However, despite the continuous investment, the results have been disappointing. In the ranking of highly cited publications, China is first, followed by the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. South Korea ranks 13th, dropping from 12th last year.
The research team explained, "By comparing the number of highly cited papers in major countries in 2023 with total R&D investment, it was found that South Korea has slightly fewer highly cited papers compared to the total investment."
The research team suggested ensuring the quality competitiveness of R&D, saying, "In the context of intensified global competition for technological supremacy, South Korea needs to develop strategic measures to ensure not only the growth of R&D volume but also the competitiveness of quality."
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1839072473944071/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.