Background and Key Issues of the 2026 Sobujang Special Act Amendment
The amendment to the Special Act on Strengthening the Competitiveness of Materials, Components, and Equipment Industries and Supply Chain Stabilization (Sobujang Special Act), effective January 2026, marks a turning point in Korea's national supply chain strategy. Moving beyond its original focus on responding to Japan's export restrictions, the Act now officially includes defense industry components and critical minerals, including rare earths, significantly expanding the scope of Sobujang policy.
The amended law reorganizes core strategic Sobujang technologies into four pillars: (1) Market leadership (next-generation semiconductors and displays), (2) Transition response (EV and hydrogen mobility components), (3) Regulatory response (eco-friendly materials for EU CBAM and ESPR), and (4) Supply chain security (rare earths and defense-critical components). These four pillars will serve as evaluation criteria for all future Sobujang R&D support programs.
MSS Technology Innovation Program — 200 Companies, KRW 21.6 Billion
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will invest a total of KRW 21.6 billion in the Sobujang track of the Technology Innovation Development Program in 2026, selecting 200 companies. The first round (March–April) will select 140 companies for KRW 16.8 billion, with the second round in the second half selecting 60 companies for KRW 4.8 billion.
Given the average competition ratio of 6.8:1 in the 2025 first round, early preparation is essential even for the second round.
New Opportunities from Defense and Rare Earth Inclusion
Defense component localization and rare earth supply chain security are the hottest R&D themes of 2026.
SMEs can now access the Material Bank free of charge, enabling enterprise-level R&D with AI-driven material design and simulation capabilities previously limited to large corporations.
5 Practical Keys to Boosting Selection Rates
Sobujang R&D evaluation differs from general R&D. Based on field experience, these 5 factors determine selection outcomes.
KITIM Sobujang R&D Consulting Services
KITIM is a specialized consulting firm that has supported over 150 companies with R&D project planning and proposal writing in the core Sobujang strategic technology fields. We provide end-to-end services from project planning → proposal writing → evaluation response → commercialization funding design. For the newly added defense and rare earth fields, our advisory team includes former evaluators from MOTIE and DAPA.
The 2026 first-round application closes in late March, and completing a proposal from planning stage typically requires at least 6 weeks. To seize the opportunities created by the Sobujang Special Act amendment, you need to start preparing now. Contact KITIM for a free consultation to identify the most suitable project fit for your technology field.