Approval to establish an industrial technology research association

Procedure

Procedure

1. 01

   1. Review the membership and establishment requirements — Members must be persons who directly or indirectly use the results of the technology development carried out by the association, and at least 3 of them act as promoters (Articles 6 and 7 of the Act). The association must contribute to industrial technology development, allow members to join and withdraw freely, give members equal voting and election rights, and not operate solely for the benefit of specific members (Article 3). Whether the joint R&D projects can be carried out efficiently through member cooperation is also an approval criterion, so the project structure is reviewed from the start.

2. 02

   2. Draft the articles of association and the R&D plan — The articles must state the purpose, name, projects and their execution (especially technology development tasks), location of the main office, member qualifications, admission and withdrawal, imposition of costs, handling of losses, number and election of officers, meetings, accounting, members' rights and duties (especially the duty of cooperation among members), and disposal of residual assets (Article 9(1)). Any fixed duration or grounds for dissolution must also be included. The R&D plan and the business plan and budget for the fiscal year are prepared to show the capacity to raise funds and manage R&D.

3. 03

   3. Hold the inaugural general meeting and prepare the minutes — The promoters hold the inaugural general meeting to approve the articles, elect officers and resolve on the business plan and budget, and then prepare the minutes. The member register and the officers' resumes and letters of acceptance are prepared at the same time. The 30-day filing deadline runs from the date of the inaugural meeting, so the meeting is scheduled after the documents are ready.

4. 04

   4. Prepare the application and file with the Ministry of Science and ICT — On the application for establishment authorization of an industrial technology research association (Form No. 1), enter the association name, date of the inaugural meeting, promoters, purpose, number of members, floor area of the main office and joint research facilities, number of full-time staff and number of dedicated researchers with at least a bachelor's degree, and submit it with the attachments to the Minister of Science and ICT within 30 days after the inaugural meeting. There is no application fee.

5. 05

   5. Consultation with related ministries and notice of authorization — The Minister of Science and ICT grants authorization if the approval criteria are met, after consulting the heads of related central administrative agencies in advance (Enforcement Decree, Article 2(2)). The decision must be notified within 50 days from receipt of the application, and if neither the decision nor an extension of the processing period is notified within that time, authorization is deemed granted on the day after the period ends (Act, Article 8(2) and (3)). Once approved, a certificate of establishment authorization (Form No. 2) is issued.

Filing route

Filing route

Deadlines & processing notes

Deadlines & processing notes

Fees & official charges

Fees & official charges

Included in the basic fee — Initial document review, required-document guidance, basic form preparation, one filing support and responses to up to two supplement requests.

Conditional success fee — For this service, any conditional success fee may be separately agreed within the lawful service scope and stated in a written engagement agreement. No outcome is guaranteed.

Displayed amounts are starting estimates, not statutory or standard rates. The final fee is confirmed after consultation and document review in the engagement agreement. Government fees and actual expenses may change.

Basic documents

Basic documents

Amending the articles of association also requires authorization from the Minister of Science and ICT, with the draft amendment, the reasons for amendment and the general meeting minutes attached (Act, Article 10; Enforcement Rule, Article 4). After establishment, a report on business performance and settlement of accounts must be submitted to the Minister of Science and ICT within 3 months after the end of each fiscal year, and failing to report or refusing an inspection is subject to a fine for negligence of up to 500,000 won (Act, Articles 16 and 19; Enforcement Decree, Article 10).