60,000 Professional Engineers to Mobilize… EXPERT Program Doubles 2027 Budget and Selects 13 New Projects

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) is significantly expanding the scale of the 'Support Project for Field Implementation of Disaster and Disaster Response Technologies Utilizing Professional Technicians,' also known as the EXPERT Project, for fiscal year 2027. According to the official announcement made on October 26, 2026, the project budget for 2027 has been finalized at 5.1 billion won based on the government proposal, representing an approximately two-fold increase compared to 2026 ¹².

Beyond merely increasing the budget, the project will categorize support types into three distinct areas—Technology Linkage Type, New Technology Application Type, and AI-Based Matching Platform Development—and announce an open call for a total of 13 new projects. This move is interpreted as an effort to accelerate an ecosystem where Professional Engineers with extensive industrial field experience directly lead initiatives to apply laboratory technologies to actual disaster scenes. The application period runs from October 26 to November 27, 2026 ¹.

Bridging the Gap Between Technology and the Field: The Direction of the EXPERT Project

The EXPERT Project was established in response to field opinions that it is necessary to go beyond traditional research and development (R&D) methods and pursue technology development and field application in parallel ². The core purpose of this project is to verify whether technologies validated in laboratories function properly in actual disaster fields, where various variables such as weather conditions and facility states exist, and to support field application and commercialization ¹.

The MSIT explained that the project's intention is to leverage the field experience and technical capabilities of Professional Engineers, comprising approximately 60,000 professional technicians, to find solutions for disaster and disaster response problems ². As a project led by the industry's top engineers, it aims to ensure that developed technologies are promptly utilized in actual disaster and disaster fields, thereby contributing to public safety ².

The MSIT emphasized that this is an innovative model where Professional Engineers, who constitute a key pillar of scientific and technological talent, directly participate to solve practical problems in the field ². It set a direction focused on narrowing the gap between technology and the field and increasing the speed of field application for developed technologies ².

FY2027 Budget of 5.1 Billion Won and Segmentation of New Project Types

The project budget for next year has been set at 5.1 billion won, double this year's level ². As the project scale has expanded, the support structure has also been segmented into three types ².

The first type, the 'Technology Linkage Type,' supports the field implementation of original technologies already developed by industry, academia, and research institutes. This category is conducted over a one-year project period ¹. Specifically, nine items have been designated as targets for open call, including eco-friendly vehicle fires, urban flooding due to abnormal climate, AI-based rapid survey mobility, bridge structural risks, and sinkholes ¹². Notably, a project for reducing risks in the dismantling process of aging facilities, known through incidents like the Seosomun overpass demolition accident, has been added as a new item ¹².

The second type, the 'New Technology Application Type,' supports the development and dissemination of new technologies required for disaster and disaster response fields. Participants are supported for two years in development and validation if they freely propose technologies ¹². The MSIT is recruiting in five fields, including natural disaster response, industrial accident prevention, and living safety assurance ¹². During the evaluation process, emphasis will be placed not only on the novelty of the technology but also on its actual field applicability and whether demand sources have been secured ¹.

The third type is the 'Development of an AI-Based Disaster Safety Demand-Technology Matching Platform.' It supports the development of AI algorithms and the construction of a database (DB) to effectively connect disaster safety demands with response technologies using artificial intelligence technology ¹². A pilot operation to verify the platform's feasibility will also be promoted ¹.

Expanded Budget and Differentiated Support Structure by Type

With the FY2027 budget finalized at 5.1 billion won and an open call for 13 new projects, differentiated research periods and scales by type are expected to be operated ¹². While the Technology Linkage Type focuses on short-term validation within one year, the New Technology Application Type is granted a two-year research period ¹.

As the total budget significantly increases, the scale of funding injected into the field validation and technology development environments for each research project is expected to expand. This appears to be poised to inject financial vitality into the research ecosystem while operating research periods and projects differentiated by type.

Meanwhile, separate from the open call for new projects in 2027, the MSIT is concurrently conducting field validation for the 13 projects already selected in 2026 ¹. Therefore, starting from the first half of 2027, a system will be activated where field application outcomes from the 2026 validation projects and development of the 2027 new projects run simultaneously.

Schedule for New Project Applications and Selection Evaluation Procedure

The announcement and application for new projects in the EXPERT Project for 2027 will take place from October 26 to November 27, 2026 ¹. As the announcement period lasts for about one month, researchers from industry, academia, and research institutes, as well as Professional Engineers, must submit their applications within this period.

Once applications close, document review and evaluation will take place from November 30 to January 13, 2027 ¹. Following this evaluation period, final projects are scheduled to be selected at the end of January 2027 ¹. With the open call announced in late October 2026 being finalized at the end of the following January, an evaluation period of about two months is required for the transparency and thorough review of field-applied technology selection. However, the budget and implementation schedule are subject to change ¹.

Proactive Response to Aging Infrastructure and Safety Threats from Climate Change

The expansion of the EXPERT Project is a move to create a technology ecosystem that proactively responds to complex safety threats, including not only natural disasters but also the aging of urban infrastructure ². The newly added 'risk in the Seosomun overpass dismantling process' and existing key projects such as 'eco-friendly vehicle fires' and 'urban flooding' are all empirical safety issues in Korean society today that require immediate technological alternatives.

To narrow the gap between technology and the field, the approach of supporting development, validation, and commercialization as a single integrated project focuses on enhancing the effectiveness of R&D. An MSIT official stated that they hope technologies developed through Professional Engineer-led projects will be utilized in the field as soon as possible to contribute to public safety ¹. The capabilities of the network of professional technicians are now stepping out of the laboratory to secure field-centered disaster and disaster response technologies.