At “Space Solutions,” a small satellite technology and components company in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon, 36-year-old Indian researcher Vikas Khandu Bhosale has been employed since March 2021. After completing his Ph.D. at KAIST, Bhosale joined the company, largely due to the persistent efforts of CEO Lee Jae-hun. Lee personally visited KAIST several times while Bhosale was still a doctoral student to recruit him. “Most of the Korean students in the same lab were heading to large corporations or research institutes, but this Indian student was doing exceptional work. I suggested we collaborate, and he agreed, so we recruited him,” CEO Lee explained. He also noted, “Our company has faced a persistent shortage of research staff since its inception, so whenever I visit universities or attend conferences, my main focus is finding people willing to work with us.”
Recently, foreign workers have begun to fill not only manual labor roles in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) but also positions in research and development (R&D) that require specialized skills. The labor shortage in SMEs, initially confined to unskilled roles in foundational industries, has worsened due to a declining population and the continued preference of young talent for large corporations. Now, skilled foreign professionals, including those with advanced degrees, are stepping in to fill critical gaps in the workforce of SMEs and startups.
This trend is reflected in recent statistics. The number of unskilled workers with E-9 visas in ‘3D’ industries increased by just 10% last year compared to 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic, while the number of skilled professionals with E-7 visas more than doubled, showing a 111% increase. Additionally, the number of research personnel holding domestic master’s or doctoral degrees with E-3 visas rose by 25%.
However, despite issuing these visas, the government has not fully understood the employment landscape for foreign professionals and researchers or the specific needs of SMEs. Lee Gi-jung, a director at the Korea Federation of SMEs, pointed out, “There is a system to help recruit and place unskilled foreign workers based on business needs, but companies are largely left on their own when it comes to finding skilled professionals and researchers, which is extremely challenging.” He emphasized, “As SMEs, which have traditionally operated as subcontractors for larger corporations, now need to develop their own technological edge, there should be more support to address the R&D manpower shortage.”
