A study on structural change of convergence technology responding to population aging

For S&T to resolve challenges caused by population aging, multidisciplinary approach is needed. However, yet, there is lack of studies on how the convergence technology has been structured.

To analyze the structure of convergence technology for population aging, this paper conducted social network analysis based on National S&T Standard Classification System of national R&D projects in Korea. Assuming that each type of research performers conducts convergence research differently, this paper analyzed and compared the structures of the performers. For the analysis, this paper used information on national R&D projects related to population aging, conducted between 2007 and 2015.

According to the result, each type of research performers had different aspects of convergence research. The similar aspects of the three researcher performers are that ‘medical treatment’ and ‘life science’ integrated the most with other technology. Also, they all had society-related S&T domains as one of the essential domains facilitating convergence technology. Universities conducted convergence research the most and corresponded to the distinctive aspects of R&D for solving social challenges. As the most proportion of enterprises are small and medium enterprises, their convergence research showed less convergence occurred when comparing to others. Although research institutes performed R&D less than universities, S&T was most actively converged.

By empirically analyzing the structure of convergence technology, it is expected to give an insight that convergence research for population aging needs integration between disciplines related to S&T and society.