Signal Non-capital regions lag far behind in regional S&T innovation capacity

Summary

KISTEP's assessment of regional science and technology innovation capacity for 2025, published in 2026, quantifies the gap between regions. Measured against Gyeonggi, which ranks first on the composite index, the fourteen regions other than Seoul and Daejeon remain below 50 percent in relative level. Five-year results point the same way, with non-capital regions considerably inferior to the capital area and Daejeon. Among the lower fourteen in 2025, South Jeolla and North Gyeongsang ranked first and second in network capacity, while Jeju, Busan and North Jeolla led in environment capacity. Yet their resource, activity and performance capacities differ greatly from those of the top three regions. The author reads this as evidence that non-capital regions have little self-sustaining ability in knowledge creation and depend on publicly funded support programs.