The Ministry of SMEs and Startups (Minister Oh Young-joo, hereinafter referred to as the Ministry of SMEs and Startups) announced on the 31st that it is recruiting small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in the 2025 SME Research Personnel Support Project.
This project is a project to support the 'recruitment', 'dispatch', and 'training' of research personnel needed by small and medium-sized enterprises in order to resolve the shortage of research personnel and strengthen technological competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. The main target of support is small and medium-sized enterprises that have corporate research institutes or research and development departments.
◆ Recruitment Support
When small and medium-sized businesses hire research personnel with bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degrees, the government supports 50% of the annual salary for up to three years.
In particular, we also support matching excellent foreign research personnel for small and medium-sized enterprises that are unable to secure domestic research personnel. When a small and medium-sized enterprise signs an employment contract with a foreign researcher who is seeking employment through the K-Work platform , the Ministry of SMEs and Startups supports the issuance of a professional (E-7-1) visa through a visa recommendation.
Small and medium-sized enterprises wishing to participate can apply through the ‘ Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Technology Development Project Comprehensive Management System Nuri-jip’ from the 31st to March 4th.
◆ Dispatch support
Professional researchers from public research institutes such as the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute are dispatched to small and medium-sized enterprises to perform tasks such as resolving technical difficulties, and the government supports 50% of the annual salary of dispatched personnel for up to three years.
Small and medium-sized enterprises wishing to participate can search for and receive support for personnel they wish to dispatch through the ‘Research Personnel Support System’ , and applications are accepted at any time throughout the year.
◆ Positive support
Through the Research Human Resources Innovation Center* selected by region, small and medium-sized enterprises and research personnel are matched, and after the R&D project is performed (2 to 4 months), if employment is confirmed, R&D project expenses (up to 12 million won) are supported for up to 6 months.
* 4 places including Hoseo University (Chungnam area), Transportation University (Chungbuk area), Changwon National University (Gyeongnam area), and Jeonbuk National University (Jeonbuk area) (selected in May 24)
This year, in line with the R&D policy direction of intensively fostering deep-tech startups, we plan to give priority support to companies selected for the 1,000+ Projects of Ultra-Gap Startups. Small and medium-sized enterprises wishing to receive support should have a corporate research institute or a research and development department and apply to the regional research manpower innovation center. Specific details will be announced by each regional research manpower innovation center in March.
Kim Woo-joong, Director of Regional Enterprise Policy, said, “In the era of global technological hegemony, it is more important than ever to foster and supply excellent research personnel needed by regional SMEs,” adding, “We will provide close support so that the support effect can be maximized by strengthening links with regional and cutting-edge industries, such as the ‘Legend 50+ Project,’ which is the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ representative regional specialized project.”
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