Strategic Collaboration Framework for UK-Korea Healthcare Joint Research: Focusing on Technology Competitiveness, Investment Priorities, and Policy Alignment

This International Collaborative research is emerging as a key strategy for advancing science and technology and responding to global health crises.In the healthcare sector, the complexity of technologies and the high costs and long development timelines make it challenging for individual countries to respond effectively, highlighting the necessity of strategic international cooperation.This study conducted a three-stage analysis to establish a collaborative healthcare research strategy between Korea and the UK.First, data from the "2024 Healthcare Industry Technology Level Evaluation", a principal component analysis based on technology levels and gaps, identified Korea's areas of lower technological competitiveness, including pharmaceutical development, regenerative medicine, and medical device development.Second, an analysis of 2,159 healthcare research projects funded by the UK's Medical Research Council (MRC) from 2022 to 2024, based on UKRI's Gateway to Research data, revealed that regenerative medicine, pharmaceutical development, and digital health are key investment areas.Third, a comparison of policy documents from both countries indicated that the priority areas for cooperation align with the strategic investment directions of their respective governments.Consequently, this study selected regenerative medicine and pharmaceutical development as priority areas for Korea-UK joint research and identified leading institutions and principal investigators for each field.By proposing a collaboration strategy based on quantitative data, this study offers practical implications.It can serve as foundational material for establishing institutional frameworks to achieve tangible collaborative outcomes in the future.