[Edaily Reporter Kang Min-koo ] The government is moving full steam ahead to lay the groundwork for the commercialization of brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. Starting with 5.8 billion won next year, it will invest a total of 53 billion won by 2031 to establish a dedicated preclinical facility for primates. The plan is to secure a primate resource pool starting with 50 animals next year, expanding to 300 animals by 2031.

According to the science and technology community on the 7th, a budget proposal totaling 5.8 billion won to establish a preclinical support center for the brain industry was included in the Cabinet meeting held on the 1st. This center will be responsible for securing primate resources by 2031 and providing services to research institutes, companies, and universities.

Previously, the government designated BCI as a core task of the “Moonshot Project”—aimed at accelerating innovation through science, technology, and artificial intelligence (AI) by 2035—and the “7 Major SEED” projects, designed to foster future growth engines. Securing this budget is highly significant as it marks the start of full-scale efforts toward commercializing the technology.

◇Essential for BCI Commercialization: Establishment of a Dedicated Preclinical Facility for Primates
BCI is a next-generation technology that interprets brain signals to enable direct communication between humans and computers; the global market is projected to grow to approximately $80 billion (about 110 trillion won) by 2035. Once the technology is commercialized, it is expected not only to support the recovery of patients with physical limitations—such as those with quadriplegia, brain disorders, or visual impairments—but also to expand its applications to include robots controlled by thought alone and cultural content that conveys various sensory experiences.

Domestic industry, academia, and research institutions are also preparing for the future by formalizing collaborative frameworks. On the 26th of last month, the Korea BCI Association—composed primarily of BCI-related institutions—the Korea BCI Society, which includes BCI researchers, and the BCI Alliance, involving relevant government ministries, were launched. Participants include the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, as well as Y-Brain, Z-Brain, Cerazem, Samsung C&T, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University, and KAIST.

Subject to securing next year’s budget, the Ministry of Science and ICT plans to select a dedicated preclinical primate facility as an affiliated institution through a public solicitation process targeting government-funded research institutes and universities by the end of this year. Based on this, the ministry intends to start with 50 primates next year and gradually increase the number to secure a total primate resource pool of 300 by 2031.

Although the initial target was more than 500 primates, including rhesus macaques, the goal is currently being revised to 300 due to stricter management of strategic assets by countries around the world and rising prices for primates. While the possibility of acquiring primates from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology’s Primate Center (Jeongeup, Ochang) is currently under consideration, the shortage of primate resources following the COVID-19 pandemic has made such acquisitions difficult. The most likely approach is to import approximately 300 primates from Southeast Asian countries such as Laos and Myanmar to provide services to companies, universities, and research institutions.

For the commercialization of BCI, preclinical validation using primates is an essential step prior to human clinical trials. This is because primates are the only model available for validating implantable electrodes and neural signal decoding before applying them to humans.

In particular, the management of primate resources requires close cooperation between the government and the private sector. Elon Musk’s Neuralink also received support from the National Primate Research Center at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) during its early preclinical stages.

At the national level, major scientific powers such as the United States (approximately 100,000 animals) and China (a similar number) manage primates as national research resources to support the development of BCI technology. In South Korea, primates are primarily housed at the National Primate Center, located at two branches of the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology; however, the current situation is far less favorable compared to these countries. In particular, China—the largest exporter of primates—has imposed an export ban since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the distribution of resources from the National Primate Center to other institutions remains limited.

Son Jeong-woo, President of the Korean BCI Society (Professor at Catholic Kwandong University), stated, “Primates are the gateway to invasive BCIs; even Neuralink in the U.S. validated its technology with support from a national primate center,” adding, “South Korea must also establish a support system.” He further emphasized, “We must move beyond a structure centered on students and short-term researchers and also focus on cultivating specialized technical personnel; in the future, the key to success will be designing facilities, animals, and human resources in tandem.”

◇Conducting Experiments in Strict Compliance with Animal Ethics Committee Review
Once primate resources are secured, companies and research institutions will be required to conduct experiments in accordance with the strict ethical standards of the newly established center. Currently, primate-related experiments must comply with the standard operating guidelines of each institution’s Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) under the Animal Protection Act. It is also expected that additional guidelines will need to be established under the center’s leadership.

Han Baek-soo, Director of the Brain and Advanced Engineering Division at the National Research Foundation of Korea, explained, “Universities and research institutions must undergo review by an Institutional Review Board (IRB),” adding, “They must undergo rigorous training and pass the review process before they can conduct experiments.”

The government plans to use this secured budget as a springboard to accelerate the establishment of the Preclinical Support Center for the Brain Industry. However, specific details, such as the number of primate resources, will be finalized after reviewing internal and external conditions.

An official from the Ministry of Science and ICT stated, “Starting with 5.8 billion won next year, we plan to secure the necessary budget on an annual basis,” adding, “We will pursue commercialization while complying with the regulations of the Animal Experiment Ethics Committee, and we aim to launch a public solicitation for the center within this year.”