Baek Byung-yeul is a journalist at The Korea Times focused on cultural content, including films and cultural events in South Korea. You can contact him at baekby@koreatimes.co.kr to share your insights.
Korea showcases AI chips, 6G tech to maintain competitiveness
Bang Seung-chan, president of the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), delivers a speech during the ETRI Conference 2023 at the Korea Science and Technology Center in Seoul, Tuesday. Courtesy of ETRI
By Baek Byung-yeul
ETRI hosts conference to preview next-generation technologies
Korea unveiled the latest information and communications technologies, including AI semiconductors, quantum computing and the 6G network, being worked on by domestic researchers, according to the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), Tuesday, in a bid to drive industrial innovation in the ICT sector.
ETRI, a state-run research institute, held its annual ETRI Conference on Tuesday and Wednesday, hosting individual conferences on 6G, the metaverse, AI chips and quantum computing technologies, as well as exhibitions for 17 core technologies and business seminars.
Founded in 1976, ETRI has led technological development in the semiconductor, electronics and telecommunications sectors, transferring technologies to private companies and contributing to the country’s rise as an ICT powerhouse.
ETRI President Bang Seung-chan said that the world is entering a hyperconnected era, and that the institute is at the forefront of developing technologies to realize a hyper-intelligent information society based on high-performance computing, hyperconnected infrastructure and hyperrealistic services.
"Among them, we are strengthening our research and development in the field of high-performance computing, such as AI," the president said during an opening speech at the Korea Science and Technology Center conference. “In the physical space, hyperconnectivity is important. We aim to create hyperrealistic services that maximize immersion and realism by strengthening the virtual space with AI technology."
“Korea is in the midst of a period of intense global competition,” ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho said in an opening speech. "All countries are racing to develop advanced technologies, and technological hegemony is accelerating. Global industrial competition in the field of advanced digital technology is also intensifying."
The minister added that research institutes should work together to create new value and that he hopes the conference will contribute greatly to that end.
“I believe that the event held by ETRI today is not just a technology showcase, but an opportunity for ETRI to open its doors and step into the arena of convergence in order to face global competition confidently,” the minister said.
The conference featured technical sessions where researchers shared their latest developments with attendees. The first day's technical session was on 6G as the leading research institute has laid the foundation for the development of Korea's mobile communications, from code-division multiple access (CDMA), second-generation network technology, to 5G.
On the day, presentations were given on ETRI’s research progress on 6G, Hanwha Group’s defense unit Hanwha Systems’ space internet business, 6G service-native networking and R&D on the 6G component. On the second day, the sessions address the metaverse, AI semiconductors and quantum technologies.
In addition, the event also recruited interns, providing the next generation of ICT experts with an opportunity to explore their future career paths. ETRI said a total of 114 interns were recruited in 72 fields for undergraduate students in their third and fourth years.
“We look forward to the support of science and technology experts who will be responsible for the development of national strategic technologies. The exhibition of the world's best research results and career counseling at the conference will be a good opportunity for their future career choices,” the ETRI president said.