As of 2023, 메가 슬롯 industry in Korea accounts for 63.8% of total valueadded and 70.4% of total employment. And the proportion of the메가 슬롯 industry in the national economy is expected to continue toexpand. This is why the qualitative growth and advancement of theKorean 메가 슬롯 industry are inevitable at this point. Accordingly, theKorean government has been continuing various policy supports tothis end. Ahead of Korea-US FTA, Korean Government conducted the“메가 슬롯 PROGRESS I-V” in 2008 in an intensive manner which are representativepolicy examples to advance the domestic 메가 슬롯 industry.

The “메가 슬롯 PROGRESS” presented 메가 슬롯 R&D as an official policytool and later became a catalyst for 메가 슬롯 innovation and R&D-cen tered policy support. However, these policy attempts have not beensuccessful in curing the chronic problems of the Korean 메가 슬롯 industry,such as stagnation of value-added, delay in transition to highvalue-added 메가 슬롯 industries, low productivity level, and wideningthe productivity gap with the manufacturing industry. The governmentattributed these problems to the lack of 메가 슬롯 innovation and R&Dand then presented the “메가 슬롯 R&D Guidelines” (2021) to revitalizeprivate 메가 슬롯 R&D. Nevertheless, the Korean 메가 슬롯 industry is stilldelayed in transitioning to qualitative growth and trapped in “메가 슬롯innovation or 메가 슬롯 R&D paradox”.

This study started with the following questions that the current 메가 슬롯industry policy system may not be aligned with the features of 메가 슬롯industry and the interests of 메가 슬롯 firms. Therefore, this study focuson the characteristics of the 메가 슬롯 and 메가 슬롯 industry, and theactivities of the 메가 슬롯 firms. And then, this study builds 메가 슬롯 processthrough which the firms conduct innovation and R&D. The 메가 슬롯process corresponds to the value chain of the manufacturing firm. If firm’s activities at each stage of the 메가 슬롯 process become efficient, itwill improve efficiency of the entire process and ultimately to productivityenhancement. In addition, enhanced efficiency at each stageof the process will increase the added value, leading to the advancementof the 메가 슬롯 industry. Therefore, enhancing the activities of메가 슬롯 firms at each stage of the 메가 슬롯 process, that is, innovationcapabilities, will be a viable alternative to solving the chronic problemsof the 메가 슬롯 industry.

The 메가 슬롯 process in this study is defined as a series of stages such as메가 슬롯 planning, development, launch, and 메가 슬롯 process management.From the 메가 슬롯 process perspectives, 메가 슬롯 innovation is 메가 슬롯firm’s activities to enhance its capabilities associated with each 메가 슬롯process. In addition, reflecting the policy importance of 메가 슬롯 R&D,메가 슬롯 R&D is identified as a 메가 슬롯 development stage, and it is subdividedinto a separate process consisting of 메가 슬롯 conceptualization,메가 슬롯 inspection and supplementation, and 메가 슬롯 implementationstages. Moreover, this study look into the consistency between 메가 슬롯R&D from the 메가 슬롯 process point of view and the national R&D promotionsystem. It is confirmed that 메가 슬롯 R&D does not fit into thecurrent national R&D promotion system, which is centered on technologicalinnovation. And this result is also supported by the quantitativeanalysis of four 메가 슬롯 R&D projects conducted for SMEs. Various interpretationsand criticisms are possible for the derived quantitativeanalysis results, but it is clear that a separate support system thatmatches the characteristics of 메가 슬롯 R&D is necessary.

Additional survey analysis highlights that 메가 슬롯 firms needs varioussupport for their activities conducted in each stage of 메가 슬롯 process.Support for non-technical factors is essential in order to enhance theinnovation capabilities of 메가 슬롯 companies performed at each stageof the 메가 슬롯 process. In other words, it is required to overcome thelimitations of the current support project that is focusing on technicalfactors, expand the scope of support to include non-technical factors,and develop various support projects that reflect the industry, companysize, and transaction type.Accordingly, this study presents a direction for supplementing andimproving existing support policies, along with suggestions on policytasks to strengthen 메가 슬롯 firms’ innovation capabilities and activate메가 슬롯 R&D from a 메가 슬롯 process perspective.