The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning (MSIP) is planning to invest 140 billion won (US$134 million) in research and development (R&D) to nurture the smart media industry by 2020.
According to industry sources on Sept. 18, the MSIP shared and collected various opinions on smart media R&D strategies on Sept. 16 in a committee meeting for revitalizing the ecosystem for smart media. The event was attended by representatives of the related industry, academia, R&D institutions, broadcasting companies, manufacturers, and portal operators.
The strategies in question contain a vision and a road map related to smart media R&D by 2020. They are aimed at increasing the competitive advantage in technology to the 95 percent level from the current 70 percent compared to the best technology in the field last year, and at securing as much as two applied platforms for global media. To achieve those goals, five core platforms were chosen, which include smart broadcasting, open screens, social media, smart spaces, and smart media-based platforms. Five selected base technologies are the Internet of media, immersive media, emotional media, sympathetic media, and ad frameworks.
The MSIP already decided to make an R&D investment worth 6 billion won (US$5.8 million) in open screen platforms and 9.8 billion won (US$9.4 million) in smart space platforms by 2017. Smart space refers to technology that can bring information into various screens like the movie Minority Report using CCTVs or smart home techniques.
However, some point out that the government has yet to make a specific policy plan that could be used in reality. Several committee members said, “The government should make the policy applicable in reality through a more thorough analysis of the ecosystem.”
After holding a public hearing on Oct. 15, the MSIP is going to bring up proposed strategies to the Committee of Strategies for Info-communications in November, and will finally announce its final plan in December.\
