The methods of technology appraisal in South Korea

This presentation introduces the Technology Appraisal (TA) of South Korea. As an essential preevaluation process, the TA is established to evaluate newly planned R&D programs with macroscopic, multi-lateral, and long-range perspectives and to select proper R&D programs for the feasibility analysis. In the TA process, R&D programs are evaluated with five indexes; the necessity, the urgency, the redundancy, the suitability for government investment, and the concreteness of R&D plans. Each index is evaluated considering 2~5 criteria. In the necessity, the urgency and the suitability indexes, we evaluate a newly planned R&D program from a national S&T point of view if it is necessary and urgent to execute. Moreover, we evaluate the redundancy of the R&D program for the efficient use of national R&D budget by checking previous R&D programs and technologies. Finally, in the concreteness index, the clarity of the objectives and the effectiveness of the R&D structure and strategy are evaluated. Until now, the TA has been conducted four times and the TA results so far show 37% of newly planned R&D programs are appropriate for the feasibility analysis. By introducing the TA, the time/cost/manpower needed for feasibility analysis were saved and the macroscopic, multi-lateral and long-range perspectives of new R&D proposals can be reviewed.