2026 Daejeon Conference on Science and Innovation Policy

 About the Conference 

Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are accelerating at an unprecedented pace, with their impact rapidly expanding across all sectors of society. Accordingly, there is growing attention to critical reflection on the transformations driven by technological progress, the advancement of human–AI co-evolution, challenges related to sustainability, and the development of policies capable of addressing these issues.

Building on this shared recognition, the Graduate School of Science and Technology Policy and the School of Public Policy are jointly hosting their inaugural conference to examine the future directions of science, technology, and innovation policy. The conference is organized around three central sections: Anthropocene studies, AI–Society–Policy, and Innovation policy.

 Conference Section 

The Anthropocene Section addresses the profound implications of a new geological epoch in which human activities have become the dominant force shaping Earth's climate, ecosystems, and biogeochemical cycles. It interrogates how unprecedented environmental transformations, from accelerating biodiversity loss and rising sea levels to the proliferation of novel materials in the geological record, challenge existing frameworks of scientific inquiry, technological innovation, and governance.

 The Innovation Policy Section examines innovation policy from a systemic perspective, focusing on how a range of policy instruments—encompassing both technological and non-technological factors, such as R&D support and collaboration, human capital development, regulation, standardization, and public procurement—shape the direction and pace of technological innovation and transform the structure of markets and industries.

The AI-Society-Policy Section examines how the rapid advancement of AI is reshaping societal structures, human values, and ethical boundaries, while raising pressing questions around environmental sustainability and the equitable distribution of technological benefits. It explores interdisciplinary approaches and emerging methodologies needed to rigorously study AI's multidimensional impacts on individuals, institutions, and the broader social fabric.

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