GATC at a Glance: 17 Firms Designated, KRW 289.5 Billion Over Six Years
On September 14, 2026, the designation ceremony for the Global Advanced Technology Center (GATC) program took place at Sam C&S in Cheongju. Seventeen companies received the designation this round. They will share KRW 289.5 billion over six years (2026–2031), about KRW 211.9 billion of it from the government.
As a simple average, that works out to roughly KRW 2.8 billion per company per year, with about KRW 2.1 billion coming from the government. Typical R&D grants run for a few years at most, so GATC is a step up in both length and size. The program is open to corporate R&D labs at SMEs and mid-sized companies that have strong technology and real export potential.
How GATC Differs from a Standard R&D Grant
GATC does more than fund research projects. Its goal is to turn a corporate lab into a global technology hub, and its support covers:
Support runs for six years and spans the full cycle, from core technology development to global commercialization. As a result, evaluators look less at any single project's output and more at how much the lab as a whole has grown.
Target Sectors and a Readiness Self-Check
Eligible sectors are semiconductors, secondary batteries, future mobility, core materials, intelligent robotics, advanced manufacturing, advanced bio, and displays. If your lab works in one of these, use the checklist below to gauge how ready you are:
A lab that has only been officially recognized as a corporate R&D center is far from GATC level. The first has set up a research organization. A GATC lab has proven that its research can compete globally. If you can't check off at least half of the list, it's usually more realistic to go through intermediate programs before applying.
Building the Growth Ladder with Existing Programs
A typical path for growing a lab looks like this:
Programs such as World Class and Global Strong SMEs mainly support growth at the company level. GATC focuses on building capability at the lab level, so the two types of program complement each other rather than compete.
Over a six-year project, however, you must make sure research goals, participating staff, and budget items don't overlap with other government projects. Caps on total researcher participation rates and reviews for similar or duplicate projects still apply after you're selected.
A 12-Month Roadmap for the Next Call
How KITIM Can Help
GATC takes a long time to prepare for, and its evaluation is demanding. KITIM supports you at every stage, from assessing your lab's capabilities and eligibility to building a six-year technology roadmap, writing the business plan, and structuring overseas partnerships. If you'd like to know where your lab stands and what to prepare before the next call, please reach out through KITIM's consultation request.