The government plans to spend 19 trillion won to enhance Korea’s competitiveness in biotech over the next ten years.

The Science and Technology Ministry said Thursday that it will announce next week its blueprint for transforming the country into a top-seven biotech leader by 2016.

The blueprint calls for state funds to be injected into research and development activities, enhancing science-related infrastructure and promoting global technology exchanges. It also calls for reorganizing the nation’s biotech support projects and establishing solid bioethics standards.