According to research by the Institute for Information Technology Advancement (IITA), our nation’s IT technology level has reached 90 percent of America’s, if we assume America’s level as 100. The research shows that technological gaps - especially in digital broadcasting, home networking, IT home appliances, and mobile telecommunications - are becoming smaller between Korea and developed countries than ever before.
The Ministry of Knowledge Economy announced that our nation’s IT industry has been equipped with technological competitiveness; its level is similar to 90% of the level of nations which are holding the best technologies. The agency said that it means we have entered the rank of advanced countries, in 20th place.
The agency had the IITA conduct a survey of 300 experts from businesses, schools and laboratories in the IT field. It showed that our IT technological level has increased 4% for two years, since 86% in 2006. We are closely chasing Japan whose level recorded as 95% and Europe whose level was said to be 94%.
This research showed that among the advanced countries the U.S. sits the top in the most fields, but Europe retains the best technology in digital broadcasting and Japan has the best skills in the fields of display, light emitting diodes (LEDs) and secondary batteries.
Compared to those developed countries, the survey reported that we hold a 95% level of their digital broadcasting technology, 94% of home networking and IT home appliances, and 93% of telecommunication. Also, we are the world’s highest in single technology parts, such as volatile memory, high-definition television (HDTV), Digital Information Display (DID), mobile Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Active Mode Organic Light Emitting Diodes (AM-OLED) modules, internet protocol TV (IPTV) receivers and mobile broadcasting technology.
But, our level of promising technology is just 75% of advanced countries’ and our IT technology has already entered their rank. It means we need urgent policies as a national level to support those parts.
About this problem Ryu Su-guen, a chief of the Electronics & IT Policy Division, announced: “This year, we are going to expand investment for the source of future technology in national IT R&D business from the 30% of last year to 39%, and it will continue to 50% in the medium-long term, in order to cope with changes of future society positively."
