South Korea unveils patent strategy for physical AI and AI-assisted R&D

South Korea has approved a new government-wide plan to integrate intellectual property strategy throughout the national research and development process, from R&D planning through patent acquisition and commercialization.

The IP-based R&D-IP-commercialization innovation plan, approved at a science and technology ministers’ meeting on September 30, calls for patent trends and promising technologies to be incorporated into national technology roadmaps and for intellectual property strategies to be linked more closely to major R&D projects.

The government will initially focus on physical artificial intelligence, for which it plans to create a patent strategy map. It also intends to develop patent information as AI training data for use in R&D.

Patent strategy begins with physical AI

Under the new plan, South Korea will analyze patent trends and promising technologies in national strategic technology fields and reflect the findings in its innovation roadmaps. Physical AI will be the first field covered by a dedicated patent strategy map. The government plans to expand the approach to other strategic technology areas.

The strategy is intended to bring IP considerations into R&D planning rather than leaving patent protection until after technological development has taken place. The government also plans to expand the connection between major R&D projects and IP-R&D strategies, while supporting the creation of global patent networks for promising publicly developed technologies.

Overseas patents and SEPs

The plan places particular emphasis on intellectual property that can support South Korean technologies in international markets. The government said it will support the creation of global patent networks for high-quality public-sector technologies and seek to secure standard-essential patents (SEPs) in future-oriented technology fields.

It also plans to establish a “K-patent pool” that would aggregate SEPs in promising areas, including physical AI. The proposal is part of a wider effort to strengthen South Korea’s position in international technology standards and intellectual property.

The initiative is therefore not limited to increasing the number of patents generated through government-funded R&D. It is also concerned with where those patents are protected and how they can contribute to international standards and commercialization.

Patent information as AI training data

Another notable element of the plan is the proposed use of patent information as AI training data for R&D. The government says it will develop patent information in a form that can be used as training data, allowing AI technologies to be incorporated into the research process.

The initiative sits alongside a broader government push to use AI in scientific research. Separately, the September 30 ministers’ meeting discussed a “K-Moonshot” strategy involving specialized AI agents and the automatic conversion of research data for AI use. The patent strategy consequently treats patent information not only as a source of information about existing technologies, but also as data that can potentially support future R&D.

Commercialization of public research

The government also plans measures aimed at improving the commercialization of publicly funded research. These include standardizing commercialization-management criteria for technology licensing offices at universities and public research institutes and developing dedicated IP personnel.

The objective is to create a closer connection between publicly funded research, IP protection, technology transfer, and commercialization.

Part of wider R&D investment

The IP plan was approved alongside a broader package of measures concerning South Korea’s national R&D strategy. The government is planning approximately KRW 4 trillion in investment in 2027 for seven strategic “SEED” technology projects covering areas including small modular reactors, fusion energy, renewable energy, quantum technology, aerospace, advanced biotechnology, and advanced supply chains.

It also plans more than KRW 200 trillion in national R&D investment over five years, with greater emphasis on linking research to demonstration and commercialization from an early stage. The patent strategy is intended to operate within this wider R&D framework, bringing IP considerations into the planning and execution of national technology programs.

A different approach to strategic patenting

South Korea’s announcement represents a broader approach to patent strategy than simply encouraging researchers to obtain more patents. By incorporating patent trends and promising-technology analysis into R&D roadmaps, the government intends to use existing IP information when determining where research and investment should be directed.

The planned use of patent information as AI training data adds another element, potentially allowing large volumes of patent information to be incorporated into AI-supported research processes. At the same time, the emphasis on overseas patent networks and SEPs indicates that the government is considering the international position of publicly supported technologies alongside their initial development.

For patent owners, universities, public research institutions, and companies operating in emerging technologies such as physical AI, the strategy could therefore have implications not only for what technologies South Korea’s government funds, but also for how resulting inventions are identified, protected, standardized, and commercialized internationally.

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