Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (Korea)

Funds Korea's trade and energy transition goals through industrial policy, technology development, and export competitiveness programs.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) is Korea's principal economic ministry, covering industrial development, trade promotion, international economic cooperation, energy and resources policy, FDI attraction, and advanced-industry R&D. The 2026 plan committed KRW 5.5 trillion to industrial R&D, an 18% increase year on year, and the ministry now brands itself as MOTIR while the record keeps the familiar MOTIE name.

Its grants flow through KIAT, KEIT, KETEP, and KOTRA/Invest Korea rather than a single central office. Named routes include Industrial Technology R&D, the Global Industrial Technology Cooperation Center Program, the Cash Grant for Foreign-Invested Companies, and EUREKA participation, with sectors spanning semiconductors, AI, secondary batteries, biotech, mobility, robotics, and shipbuilding. Foreign entities can join as anchor partners in joint R&D programs.

The ministry works best as a route into large, agency-delivered industrial programs rather than a one-stop grantmaker. Applicants need to fit one of the delivery agencies' technical or investment tracks, clear industrial R&D milestones, and align with Korea's manufacturing and energy strategy.