Science ministry launches challenge for residents to solve local issues

The science ministry said Wednesday it is launching the first Local Issue Resolution Solution Challenge to invite residents to propose regional problems and solve them using science and technology.

The initiative aims to shift the focus of regional research and development from simply fostering industry to actively involving citizens who best understand their own communities, addressing a gap where residents previously had few opportunities to participate in or feel the results of such projects.

A nationwide network of 17 support groups will manage the contest, allowing any citizen to submit ideas regardless of where they live. Organizers will select six winning projects through public presentations and evaluations by a panel of experts and citizens, awarding a total of 31 million won. The grand prize winner will receive 10 million won, while two excellence awards will each get 6 million won and three merit awards will each take home 3 million won.

Selected ideas will be developed jointly by the proposers and support groups into actual research projects and field demonstrations starting in 2027, ensuring the challenge does not end as a one-off event but leads to concrete implementation.

In parallel, an expert challenge will identify three high-potential projects from 135 existing social problem-solving R&D tasks conducted between 2020 and 2025, connecting them to short-term demonstrations and follow-up research.

Gu Hyeok-chae, the ministry's first vice minister, said, "Residents are the ones who know local issues best," adding that the program seeks to create a new model where citizens directly experience how technology can improve their daily lives and drive local change.