KEIT Smart Electronics R&D Grant
Funds Korean teams pursuing next-generation semiconductor and electronics breakthroughs in AI and cyber systems.
The KEIT Smart Electronics R&D Grant funds Korean industry-led consortia in next-generation semiconductor and electronic-systems R&D, administered by the Korea Evaluation Institute of Industrial Technology (KEIT) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy (MOTIE). The program encompasses next-generation intelligent semiconductors, Processing-In-Memory (PIM) AI semiconductor core technology, compound semiconductors, advanced packaging, fine substrates, 3D DRAM, optical semiconductors, automotive semiconductors for SDV harsh environments, and broader electronic system integration. In April 2026, KEIT launched the 'Super-Gap Race' semiconductor R&D program under this thematic budget to accelerate Korea's global leadership in advanced semiconductor capabilities. In early 2024, the related Core Technology Development Project Implementation Plan injected KRW 235.1 billion across semiconductors, displays, and secondary batteries, with six new semiconductor projects receiving KRW 24 billion in initial funding.
Project-level grants typically range from KRW 500 million to KRW 5 billion per year per project. The 2026 KEIT programme budget for this thematic area is KRW 377.85 billion (approximately USD 251.9 million). Industry co-funding of approximately 30 percent is standard. Eligible primary recipients are Korean-registered for-profit companies; research institutes and universities — including Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology, ETRI, KAIST, and POSTECH — routinely participate as consortium partners. TRL range at entry is 4–8, with most funded projects targeting advanced device development or system-level integration.
Annual solicitation rounds are administered by KEIT in Korean. Consortium proposals are evaluated on technical merit, relevance to MOTIE's semiconductor 'super-gap' strategic framework, commercial pathway, and consortium track record. Semiconductor materials, process equipment, packaging, and AI-chip design companies with Korean industry partners are the target applicants. International collaboration through KEIT's global open innovation programs is permitted; English-language program summaries are at keit.re.kr/eng/.
Korean industrial R&D in next-generation semiconductors (compound, advanced packaging, PIM AI, optical, 3D DRAM, fine substrates), electronic systems, and AI semiconductor core technologies.
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