Korea’s STEPI holds workshop on capacity building in STI policy formulation, R&D commercialisation

Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI) held the workshops on “Capacity Building in STI Policy Formulation and R&D Commercialisation” in Colombo. The workshop was held on 30 May to 5 June. 

This workshop was mainly focused for high level government officials and researchers in Sri Lanka. The workshop was designed to enhance the capacities of 50 senior-level officials and managers of the related science and technology governmental agencies, academia and research institutions.

Sri Lanka has set its national vision to become an upper middle-income country by 2025 by transforming the country into the hub of the Indian Ocean with a knowledge-based, highly comparative, social market economy. To do so, the country tries to harness science, technology and innovation to create the conditions which will generate economic growth. 

In order to realise the vision of national development with sound STI capacity, it is necessary for the Government to have the officials equipped with knowledge and expertise in establishing and implementing national STI policy, its action plans and an efficient STI system. In most of the cases policy formulation and implementation in Sri Lanka are based on ad hoc approaches and intuition.

The National Science and Technology Commission (NASTEC) under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Research (MoSTR) of Sri Lanka has requested STEPI to provide a customised training program for STI stakeholders about STI policy development and R&D commercialisation mechanisms by submitting the Project Concept Paper(PCP) in March, 2017.

As per this request a special workshop on capacity building in STI policy formulation and R&D commercialisation commenced in Colombo, 30 May to 5 June. A special team from STEPI will conduct this training program with presentations on various policy tools, R&D planning and evaluation techniques and R&D commercialisation approaches with relevant case studies from Korea.

The inauguration ceremony of this workshop was held 30 May at Sri Lanka Institute of Development Administration (SLIDA) auditorium with the participation of members of the STEPI team from South Korea, officials from NASTEC, Ministry of Science, Technology and Research, and invited scientists and guests from institutes in Sri Lanka.

NASTEC Chairman Prof. Gunapala Nanayakkara delivering the welcome speech of the inauguration session described the present situation of Science, Technology and Research in Sri Lanka, Dr. Eun Joo Kim from the STEPI Team and H.M.B.C. Herath, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Science Technology and Research also delivered speeches during the ceremony. Concluding the session, vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Kalpa Samarakoon from NASTEC.

The outputs expected from this workshop are to acquire essential knowledge on framework, concept, schemes and tools involved in developing STI policies and managing national research and development programs.

It is also to share Korean experiences and practices which were applied in the fields as well as to explore policy ideas to apply in the Sri Lanka context through discussions with Korean experts.

Given below are the titles of the six sessions of the workshop:

Session 1 – National Research and Development Program: Feasibility Study and Planning – Dr. Hyun Yim (Senior Research Fellow, KISTEP)

Session 2 – National Research and Development Program: Management and Evaluation – Dr. Hyun Yim (Senior Research Fellow, KISTEP)

Session 3 – Korean Economic Development Model (Role of STI) – Prof. Young-Rak Choi (Senior Research Fellow Emeritus, STEPI)

Session 4 – Approaches and Practices of Setting the National STI Policy: Korean Experiences – Prof. Young-Rak Choi (Senior Research Fellow Emeritus, STEPI)

Session 5 – R&D Commercialisation: Licensing – Dr. Hyun Woo Park (Senior Research Fellow, KISTI)

Session 6 – R&D Commercialisation: Spin-Offs – Dr. Hyun Woo Park (Senior Research Fellow, KISTI)