The Ministry of Science and ICT has newly designated 13 outstanding R&D innovative products, including domestically developed artificial intelligence (AI) chips born of government research and development, and opened the door for these products to enter the public procurement market. The designation is expected to broaden the foundation for self-reliance in the domestic AI market, which has long depended on foreign graphics processing units (GPUs).
 [코리안투데이] Ceremony awarding certificates for the Ministry of Science and ICT’s outstanding R&D innovative products © 장형임 기자 |
Koo Hyuk-chae, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT (led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bae Kyung-hoon), visited the headquarters of Rebellions Inc. in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on August 13 to hold the ceremony awarding certificates for outstanding R&D innovative products designated between 2025 and the first half of 2026. At the event, certificates and plaques were presented to 13 developer companies.
The 13 products designated this time break down into 5 for 2025 and 8 for the first half of 2026. Notably, the list includes many domestic NPU-based AI chips, such as Rebellions Inc.’s neural processing unit (NPU)-based AI computing card and AI server, FuriosaAI Inc.’s inference-optimized AI chip, and DeepX Inc.’s high-performance real-time inference AI chip. Also named were medical imaging diagnostic-assistance software from Coreline Soft Co. and JLK Inc., real-time ransomware-response security software from NPCore Inc., an AI non-destructive testing automated-evaluation solution from DeepEye Inc., a low-power AI chip from Mobilint Inc., intelligent glasses (smart glasses) from Fenesia Inc., medical software from OnTact Health Co., a radio-detection antenna from Higain Antenna Co., a magnetocardiography device from AMCG Inc., and a wall-integrated precast retaining wall from Its Hangang Inc.
The innovative product designation program, introduced across government ministries in 2020, helps products developed by small and medium-sized enterprises on the basis of national R&D project outcomes, as well as ministry-certified services and other products recognized for their public value and innovation, enter the public procurement market and open new sales channels. A total of 18 ministries, including the Ministry of Science and ICT, currently take part, and the ministry has designated a combined 182 products through the first half of 2026, including 75 outstanding R&D innovative products and 107 digital-service and information and communications technology (ICT) market innovative products.
Designated products are allowed to sign private (non-competitive) contracts in public procurement with the central and local governments for three years from the date of designation, extendable through first and second renewals for up to six years. They also become eligible for purchase under the Public Procurement Service’s innovative product pilot-purchase program, run this year on a scale of 83.9 billion won. In addition, under the Procurement Business Act, a procurement indemnity applies that exempts purchasing officers from liability for losses arising from a purchase unless they acted with intent or gross negligence, supporting public institutions in adopting innovative products without hesitation.
The significance of such a program lies in the public sector opening the first gateway through which new technology takes root in the market. For small and medium-sized enterprises that struggle to secure early sales channels, public procurement allows them to build a stable track record, and the references accumulated this way serve as a priming for earlier adoption in private industry. In particular, the public sector’s leading use of domestic AI chips is expected to lower dependence on foreign GPUs and hasten the self-reliance of the domestic AI ecosystem.
The ceremony was held as the 22nd step of ‘Project Gonggam 118’, an initiative aimed at realizing field-centered science and technology policy. Following the ceremony, Rebellions Inc. CEO Park Sung-hyun personally demonstrated the company’s in-house AI computing card and AI server, introducing key specifications and features such as memory and maximum power consumption in comparison with foreign GPU products.
First Vice Minister Koo Hyuk-chae said, ‘The ultimate goal of government R&D is to ensure that outstanding research results do not remain in the laboratory but spread into technologies and products that citizens can feel in their daily lives.’ He added, ‘The Ministry of Science and ICT will continue to provide support so that small and medium-sized enterprises with excellent technology and innovation capabilities can find opportunities to grow and leap forward, including entering early markets and opening sales channels through public procurement.’
Inquiries can be directed to the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Research Achievement Innovation Policy Division (044-202-4723) or its Information, Communications and Broadcasting Technology Policy Division (044-202-6234).
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