Talks about Korea association to HE concluded
Wed Apr 03 13:56:17 CEST 2024
Negotiations between the EU and the Republic of Korea were concluded on March 25. Ratification is expected to take place in the second half of 2024, with Korea joining the Pillar II of the Horizon Europe Programme in 2025. It is possible that the EU could introduce transition arrangements so that Korean researchers can start applying for 2025 calls already this year.
Pillar II makes up the majority of the HE funding, totaling almost 100 mln euro. However, Korean researchers cannot take part in the ERC grants competition.
Association means that the country´s government agrees to pay a negotiated amount into the programme’s funding pot, in exchange for its researchers being able to apply for Horizon grants alongside EU researchers. "As with Canada and New Zealand, the amount Korea pays depends on how much money its researchers win through the programme." Its contribution will be adjusted according to its researchers performance.
Korean deficit in research cooperation and research security
The deal is muttually beneficial because of high innovation and research potential of both entities, as well as the need to build bridges with countries sharing the same values. Korea has been quick to complete the deal because its international cooperation is weak, despite the potential. It has fewer internationally co-authored papers and patents than the OECD average. That is why, as Seoul revealed in November 2023, it plans to invest in international cooperation over the next three years, amounting to 6% to 7% of its budget, i.e. €3.7 billion.
Korean research and innovation global plan even anticipates creating a Korean Marie Curie programme to support researchers´ mobility.
To combat its isolation, Korea has already discussed digital cooperation with the UK, for example, and joint work on clean energy with Denmark as well as digital partnership between the EU and Korea, when they discussed continued cooperation in areas like quantum technology, semiconductors, 5G and artificial intelligence. Korean large companies are especially interested in industrial joint undertakings and partnerships.
Sources: Science Business and European Commission, DG Research and Innovation
Photo: pixabay