The "National Research Data Management and Utilization Promotion Act" was enacted on June 9. Set to take effect one year later, the law aims to systematically collect and manage research data produced from national research and development projects, allowing for public access and utilization as needed. The goal is to ensure that the outputs of national R&D investments do not remain confined to laboratories but instead contribute to new research, industrial innovation, and improved quality of life for citizens.
Previously, research data was scattered across individual laboratories and projects. Researchers often had to repeat experiments due to the inability to locate existing data, making it difficult for subsequent researchers to validate or expand upon earlier studies. Unlike publications or patents, the lack of clear management standards meant that data could become obscure over time, diminishing its potential for use. However, this is set to change.
First, the management responsibility for research data produced in national R&D will be clearly defined. Research institutions conducting national R&D projects will hold rights to the produced data and will be obligated to manage it systematically. This does not increase the burden on researchers; rather, it ensures that the data they generate is preserved collaboratively by institutions and the state, equipped with necessary standards and procedures for future researchers to trust and utilize. Researchers will be able to anticipate the criteria for data preservation, submission, and disclosure after their projects conclude, transforming data management from a one-time administrative task into a foundational aspect of research.
Second, the principles of data disclosure will be clarified. Research data will be made public by default, but data requiring protection—such as trade secrets, third-party rights, and national security concerns—can be withheld for a specified period. Researchers will be able to predict which data must be disclosed and under what circumstances protection is warranted, while data users will be able to responsibly utilize the data based on source attribution and cost-sharing guidelines.
Third, pathways to access research data will be opened. Publicly available research data will be registered and linked to integrated or specialized platforms, enabling researchers to verify and access materials. This will reduce the amount of data that remains unused due to lack of awareness, allowing companies to leverage research data as a starting point for developing new products and services. The benefits of sharing data will be particularly significant for high-cost data in fields such as large-scale equipment, long-term observations, space, and earth sciences.
This law does not only target research data that leads to "successful outcomes" such as publications or patents. Data necessary for validating and reproducing research results, including data generated through trial and error and failures, will also be managed as valuable research assets, enabling subsequent researchers to use them as starting points for new inquiries. If data is repeatedly utilized in follow-up research and industry, the efficiency of national R&D investments will also increase.
The global perspective already views research data as a core research infrastructure in the AI era. The United States launched the "Genesis Mission" through an executive order in November 2025, spearheaded by the Department of Energy (DOE), to build a platform linking federal scientific datasets, supercomputing resources, and AI models. The initiative aims to double the productivity and impact of the U.S. science and engineering sectors within a decade, addressing challenges in strategic fields such as energy, health, advanced materials, fusion, space, and quantum technology.
The European Union is also investing approximately 95.5 billion euros in the "Horizon Europe" project from 2021 to 2027, requiring the establishment of research data management plans and enabling data discovery, access, interoperability, and reuse. Research data will be deposited in trusted repositories and managed according to the overarching principle of being "as open as possible, as protected as necessary." The global trend is clear: research data is becoming a foundational element supporting research innovation in the AI era.
The National Research Data Act aims to ensure that data produced by researchers does not disappear and is utilized more broadly, based on rightful rights and protections. Researchers can move on to their next questions more quickly, while the state can disseminate the value of already invested research data more widely and for a longer duration. Countries that effectively collect and utilize research data will lead in the research competition of the AI era. This law marks the starting line for that endeavor.
The year remaining before the law takes effect should be used to faithfully reflect the opinions of the field in the system. We will establish reliable rules for researchers, executable procedures for institutions, and points of contact for industry. It is crucial to consider the characteristics of data in various fields and the burdens faced by researchers, ensuring that the management system aids research rather than imposing excessive administrative procedures. We will develop the system to ensure that research data does not remain a byproduct of research but becomes a public scientific asset that opens the door to future discoveries, adapting to the evolving scientific and technological landscape.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.