Beyond AI: South Korea Hosts 'National Strategic Technologies Summit' to Find Next Growth Engines
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
South Korea held a 'National Strategic Technologies Summit' at COEX in Seoul with about 1,000 industry, academic and research experts to map out plans for next-generation strategic technologies beyond AI. Officials and leaders called for shifting from chase-based, single-technology approaches to a design-driven national strategy that asks big questions and builds collective intelligence. Key themes included strengthening deep-tech (fundamental pre-market technologies) by leveraging high-tech strengths, fostering public–private collaboration for shared design, joint investment and test infrastructure, and creating AI-friendly talent and industrial transformation (Industry AX). Participants stressed bold, long-term R&D and venture-style funding to secure technology sovereignty—addressing bottlenecks in semiconductors, energy grids, and advanced computing—and recommended international cooperation and financing mechanisms to attract private capital. Sessions also covered quantum computing, AI-driven materials discovery, and accelerating AI-based drug development. Exhibits showcased domestic efforts in small modular reactors (SMR), secondary batteries, satellite communications, advanced packaging and mobility technologies.
