Joint statement: The 4th Canada-Korea Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee meeting

June 25, 2024

The 4th Canada-Korea Joint Science and Technology Cooperation Committee (JSTCC) meeting took place on June 17 and 18, 2024, in Banff, Alberta.

The Canada-Korea JTSCC meeting was co-chaired by Dr. Lakshmi Krishnan, Vice-President, Life Sciences at the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada, and Sunghoon Hwang, Director General of the International Cooperation Bureau, the Ministry of Science, Information and Communication Technology (MSIT). The meeting brought together officials from several key science-based departments and agencies from both countries, as well as representatives from leading research institutions and sub-national entities. The meeting was held on the margins of the Canada-Korea Conference (CKC), an annual event organized by the Association of Korean Canadian Scientists and Engineers (AKCSE).

Further to recent high-level visits to Canada and Korea by President Yoon in September 2022 and Prime Minister Trudeau in May 2023 respectively, the Canada-Korea JSTCC meeting was an opportunity to support deeper engagement between our respective science, technology and innovation communities, particularly in critical areas such as artificial intelligence and digital technologies, quantum and semiconductors, life sciences and biomanufacturing, emergency preparedness, earth, energy and clean technology, and agri-tech. This year’s meeting also facilitated discussion on important cross-sectoral themes such as the social implications of emerging technologies, the evolution of research integrity and security policies globally, and the importance of open science between trusted partners, as well as proposals on funding mechanisms, talent mobility, and infrastructure sharing. The Canada-Korea JSTCC also served as a platform to renew the Memorandum of Understanding between the National Research Council (NRC) of Canada and the National Research Council of Science and Technology (NST) of Korea. In addition, the National Research Foundation (NRF) of Korea and Prima Quebec signed a new partnership agreement.

At the end of the meeting, the Canada-Korea JSTCC co-chairs agreed that Canada and Korea are well positioned to work together to advance new research collaboration and support co-innovation partnerships between Canadian and Korean industry, researchers, and innovators. The co-chairs agreed to develop a Canada-Korea JSTCC 2024-2026 joint action plan to direct future efforts aimed at advancing common priorities and initiatives.

On the margins of the Canada-Korea JSTCC, Canadian life sciences and biotechnology experts from the NRC, Innovation, Science, and Economic Development (ISED) of Canada and the University of Calgary held a dedicated side meeting aimed at identifying new collaboration opportunities with Korean counterparts from Korea Research Institute of Bioscience & Biotechnology (KRIBB).

In 2016, Canada and Korea signed a Science, Technology and Innovation Agreement, establishing a joint committee meeting, which meets in principle every two years. Previous Canada-Korea JSTCC meetings took place in 2022, 2019 and 2017.