The Seoul and Gyeonggi R&D ecosystem
Seoul and Gyeonggi is ranked number 42 of 392 R&D ecosystems in the 311 Institute directory, with 51 labs within about 120 kilometres: 24 government, 19 research institutes, 5 corporate, 2 military and 1 university. Leading organisations include National Research Council for Economics Humanities and Social Science, LG, Asia Pacific Foundation for Infectious Diseases and Celltrion, focused on sociology and political science, economics and econometrics, biomedical engineering and genetics.
Part of the 311 Institute Global R&D Labs Directory. Compiled by Matthew Griffin. Last updated .
#42world rank
51labs
46organisations
1country
Why these labs matter
LG AI Research: South Korea's leading corporate AI lab.
Samsung Research: Shapes AI across billions of Samsung devices.
All 51 labs
| Lab and organisation | Location | Type and sector | Focus | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celltrion R&DCelltrion | Incheon, South Korea | Corporate Healthcare and life sciences | Biosimilars | 2002 |
| LG AI ResearchLG | Seoul, South Korea | Corporate Technology | AI | 2020 |
| LG Science ParkLG | Seoul, South Korea | Corporate Technology | Electronics, Materials | 2017 |
| Samsung ResearchSamsung | Seoul, South Korea | Corporate Technology | AI, 6G, Robotics | 1998 |
| SK Telecom AI R&DSK Telecom | Seoul, South Korea | Corporate Telecommunications | AI, 6G | |
| Global Green Growth Institute (South Korea)Global Green Growth Institute (South Korea) | Seoul, South Korea | Government Environment and climate | Global and Planetary Change, Economics and Econometrics, Finance | |
| Korea Agency for Infrastructure Technology AdvancementKorea Agency for Infrastructure Technology Advancement | Anyang-si, South Korea | Government Industrials and manufacturing | Civil and Structural Engineering, Building and Construction, Control and Systems Engineering | 2002 |
| Korea Center for Disease Control and PreventionKorea Center for Disease Control and Prevention | Seoul, South Korea | Government Healthcare and life sciences | Parasitology, Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Epidemiology | 2004 |
| Korea Environmental Industry and Technology InstituteKorea Environmental Industry and Technology Institute | Seoul, South Korea | Government Environment and climate | Water Science and Technology, Biomedical Engineering, Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis | 2009 |
| Korea Federation of Science and Technology SocietiesKorea Federation of Science and Technology Societies | Seoul, South Korea | Government Public policy and analysis | Strategy and Management, Education, Statistics, Probability and Uncertainty | 1994 |
| Korea Health Industry Development InstituteKorea Health Industry Development Institute | Seoul, South Korea | Government Healthcare and life sciences | Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Nutrition and Dietetics, Food Science | 1998 |
| Korea Infrastructure Organization for NanotechnologyKorea Infrastructure Organization for Nanotechnology | Seoul, South Korea | Government Multidisciplinary research | Research | 2009 |
| Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and PlanningKorea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning | Seoul, South Korea | Government Energy and resources | Renewable Energy, Sustainability and the Environment, Economics and Econometrics, Electrical and Electronic Engineering | 2009 |
| Korea Institute of Hydrological SurveyKorea Institute of Hydrological Survey | Goyang-si, South Korea | Government Environment and climate | Water Science and Technology, Atmospheric Science, Ecology | 2017 |
| Korea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and FisheriesKorea Institute of Planning and Evaluation for Technology in Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries | Anyang-si, South Korea | Government Agriculture and food | Plant Science, Genetics, Molecular Biology | 2009 |
| Korea Institute of Sport ScienceKorea Institute of Sport Science | Seoul, South Korea | Government Healthcare and life sciences | Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Physiology, Complementary and alternative medicine | 1980 |
| Korea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEsKorea Technology and Information Promotion Agency for SMEs | Seoul, South Korea | Government Social sciences and humanities | Language and Linguistics, Philosophy, Artificial Intelligence | 2022 |
| Korea-China Science & Technology Cooperation CenterKorea-China Science & Technology Cooperation Center | Seoul, South Korea | Government Healthcare and life sciences | Dermatology | 2003 |
| National Institute for International EducationMinistry of Education | Seongnam-si, South Korea | Government Social sciences and humanities | Sociology and Political Science, Communication, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management | 2008 |
| Korea Health Personnel Licensing Examination InstituteMinistry of Health and Welfare | Seoul, South Korea | Government Healthcare and life sciences | Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health, Management Science and Operations Research, General Health Professions | 1952 |
| National Institute of Environmental ResearchNational Institute of Environmental Research | Incheon, South Korea | Government Environment and climate | Atmospheric Science, Global and Planetary Change, Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis | 1978 |
| National Institute of Korean HistoryNational Institute of Korean History | Seoul, South Korea | Government Social sciences and humanities | Sociology and Political Science, Economics and Econometrics, History | |
| Korea Institute for Curriculum and EvaluationNational Research Council for Economics Humanities and Social Science | Seoul, South Korea | Government Social sciences and humanities | Education, Applied Mathematics, Management Science and Operations Research | 1998 |
| Korea Institute for National UnificationNational Research Council for Economics Humanities and Social Science | Seoul, South Korea | Government Social sciences and humanities | Sociology and Political Science, Political Science and International Relations, Economics and Econometrics | 1991 |
| Korea Women's Development InstituteNational Research Council for Economics Humanities and Social Science | Seoul, South Korea | Government Social sciences and humanities | Gender Studies, Sociology and Political Science, Economics and Econometrics | 1983 |
| The Korea Institute of Public AdministrationNational Research Council for Economics Humanities and Social Science | Seoul, South Korea | Government Social sciences and humanities | Public Administration, Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management, Political Science and International Relations | 1991 |
| Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building TechnologyNational Research Council of Science and Technology | Goyang-si, South Korea | Government Industrials and manufacturing | Building and Construction, Civil and Structural Engineering, Water Science and Technology | 1983 |
| The Seoul InstituteSeoul Metropolitan Government | Seoul, South Korea | Government Social sciences and humanities | Transportation, Toxicology, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging | 1992 |
| Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST)South Korea government | Seoul, South Korea | Government Technology | AI, Robotics, Materials | 1966 |
| Military Crypto Research CenterMilitary Crypto Research Center | Seoul, South Korea | Military Multidisciplinary research | Research | 2017 |
| Korea Institute for Defense AnalysesMinistry of National Defense | Seoul, South Korea | Military Social sciences and humanities | Sociology and Political Science, Political Science and International Relations, Aerospace Engineering | 1979 |
| Seoul National UniversityUniversities in South Korea | Seoul, South Korea | University Multidisciplinary research | Multidisciplinary | 1946 |
| Asia Pacific Foundation for Infectious DiseasesAsia Pacific Foundation for Infectious Diseases | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Molecular Medicine, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Infectious Diseases | 2000 |
| Center for Quantum NanoscienceCenter for Quantum Nanoscience | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Basic science | Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics, Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials, Biomedical Engineering | |
| Innovative Research Institute for Cell TherapyInnovative Research Institute for Cell Therapy | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Genetics, Molecular Biology, Surgery | |
| Institute for Advanced EngineeringInstitute for Advanced Engineering | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Industrials and manufacturing | Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Waste Management and Disposal | 1992 |
| Korea Culture & Tourism InstituteKorea Culture & Tourism Institute | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Social sciences and humanities | Sociology and Political Science, Social Psychology, Marketing | 1985 |
| Korea Institute for Advanced StudyKorea Institute for Advanced Study | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Nuclear | Nuclear and High Energy Physics, Geometry and Topology, Astronomy and Astrophysics | 1996 |
| Korea Polar Research InstituteKorea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology | Incheon, South Korea | Research institute Environment and climate | Ecology, Atmospheric Science, Oceanography | 2004 |
| Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical SciencesKorea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging, Radiation, Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine | 1963 |
| Convergence Research Center for Diagnosis Treatment and Care System of DementiaKorea Institute of Science and Technology | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Physiology, Pharmacology, Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience | 2015 |
| Korea Testing & Research InstituteKorea Testing & Research Institute | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Materials Chemistry, Immunology, Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis | 1969 |
| National Forensic InstituteMinistry of the Interior and Safety | Wŏnju, South Korea | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Toxicology, Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging, Genetics | 1955 |
| Korea Electronics Technology InstituteMinistry of Trade, Industry and Energy | Seongnam-si, South Korea | Research institute Industrials and manufacturing | Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition | 1991 |
| National Institute of Biological ResourcesNational Institute of Biological Resources | Incheon, South Korea | Research institute Agriculture and food | Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Oceanography, Molecular Biology | 2007 |
| National Institute of Forestry ScienceNational Institute of Forestry Science | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Environment and climate | Cell Biology, Building and Construction, Global and Planetary Change | |
| National Rehabilitation CenterNational Rehabilitation Center | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Rehabilitation, Biomedical Engineering, Pathology and Forensic Medicine | 1949 |
| Korea Maritime InstituteNational Research Council for Economics Humanities and Social Science | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Environment and climate | Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law, Ocean Engineering | 1997 |
| National Veterinary Research and Quarantine ServiceNational Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service | Anyang-si, South Korea | Research institute Agriculture and food | Animal Science and Zoology, Epidemiology, Agronomy and Crop Science | 1909 |
| Research Institute for Veterinary ScienceResearch Institute for Veterinary Science | Seoul, South Korea | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Small Animals, Genetics, Immunology | 1982 |
| Scripps Korea Antibody InstituteScripps Korea Antibody Institute | Chuncheon, South Korea | Research institute Healthcare and life sciences | Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging, Immunology and Allergy, Infectious Diseases | 2008 |
Countries
Organisations
- LG
- National Research Council for Economics Humanities and Social Science
- National Research Council of Science and Technology
- Samsung
- South Korea government
Other leading ecosystems
- Paris and Saclay
- Beijing and Tianjin
- Washington DC and Maryland
- Greater Tokyo and Tsukuba
- Moscow
- Grenoble
- London and the Golden Triangle
- Greater Bay Area (Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Hong Kong)
- Shanghai and Suzhou
- Provence (ITER and Cadarache)
- Silicon Valley and the Bay Area
- Singapore
- Zurich, Basel and Aargau
- Randstad (Amsterdam, Delft, Leiden)
- Stuttgart and Karlsruhe
Questions and answers
How big is the Seoul and Gyeonggi R&D ecosystem?
It has 51 labs from 46 organisations, ranking number 42 worldwide in the 311 Institute Global R&D Labs Directory.
Which organisations have labs in Seoul and Gyeonggi?
They include National Research Council for Economics Humanities and Social Science, LG, Asia Pacific Foundation for Infectious Diseases and Celltrion.
What does the Seoul and Gyeonggi ecosystem specialise in?
Its main focus areas are sociology and political science, economics and econometrics, biomedical engineering and genetics.
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