'tech+ Forum' boosts creativity
You Hong-june, the author of “My Exploration of Our Cultural Heritage,” delivers his presentation at the 2012 tech+ Forum in the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium, eastern Seoul, Nov. 7, 2012. / Courtesy of KIA
By Kim Da-ye
TED, an acronym for Technology, Entertainment, Design, suggests to the world a new paradigm of how a conference should be held. Its 18-minute presentation that gets broadcast online free of charge has become one of the most effective tools for communicating important messages. Korea wanted its own version of TED, and so created the tech+ Forum.
The forum is organized by The Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology (KIAT), a quasi-government institute affiliated with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
Unlike TED, which deals with a diverse spectrum of issues, the tech+ ― tech stands for technology, economy, culture and humanity ― focuses on industrial technology. And it addresses what Korea’s industrial technology sector has traditionally lacked ― creativity combined with humanities and openness.
At the last year’s event, the guest speakers included Hwang Byeong-joon, the head of classical music recording firm Soundmirror’s Korean division, and the first Korean to win a Grammy award; You Hong-june, the author of the famous travelogue “My Exploration of Our Cultural Heritage”; and Dov Moran, an Israeli engineer and founder of the company that invented USB flash drives.
The tech+ Forum endeavors to differ itself from hundreds of forums that take place in Seoul every year. The first was held in 2009 at the Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul for about 1,000 participants. But it changed in 2010. It was held at the Jamsil Gymnasium with some 8,000 in attendance, the majority of who were ordinary members of the public. In 2011, around 7,400 attended the event held at Kyung Hee University. Last year, the forum took place in the SK Olympic Handball Gymnasium in eastern Seoul with more than 5,500 people.
Each “lecture” ― rather than speech ― lasts up to 20 minutes, and the guest speaker, wearing a wireless mic, speaks comfortably to the audience in the manner initially brought into style by Apple founder Steve Jobs and now adopted by most presenters and business leaders. Between lectures various art performances and demonstrations were held.
As it is organized by the state-run institute and the industry ministry, the goal is clear.
“It draws new ideas through combining the knowledge of experts from various fields. It builds a consensus by sharing the knowledge with a larger group ― the audience. We then release a paper based on that consensus and try to develop policies,” said KIAT in a statement.
Although the forum started in 2009, its purpose is closely linked to the current Park Geun-hye administration’s “creative economy.”
“Korea has achieved a great deal of industrial development thanks to research and development efforts by industry, academics and researchers, but for another take-off, we need to develop creative technology or products based on innovative ideas,” the institute said.
“For this, barriers between industry and academia should be overcome and an environment where creative ideas are discussed, shared and spread is necessary. So we have organized the forum since 2009.”
KIAT is now trying to make the forum accessible throughout the country. Last week, a small-scale tech+ Forum took place on Jeju Island. In 2012, Busan hosted a similar one. The main tech+ Forum is to be held in Seoul in November.