Korea, France fortify ties in biotech, eco-friendly energy, AI

Participants in the Korea-France Business Dialogue pose at the headquarters of the Federation of Korean Industries in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Korea and France agreed Friday to fortify their partnership in three key future industries — biotechnology, decarbonization and artificial intelligence (AI) — in a joint effort to expand bilateral economic ties, the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) said.

Both sides presented a road map during the Korea-France Business Dialogue, co-hosted by FKI and France’s Mouvement des Entreprises de France. The event coincided with French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to Korea and drew more than 300 participants from both countries, including Macron and Prime Minister Kim Min-seok.

In the biotech session, executives from biotech and health care firms based in Seoul and Paris explored ways to combine Korea’s manufacturing and clinical expertise with France’s research and capital resources to enhance their global competitiveness in next-generation biotech. The panelists included Servier Korea General Manager Olivier Russo and Cho Yong-hyun, data platform division lead at Kakao Healthcare.

The decarbonization session discussed collaborative hydrogen initiatives and sustainable energy strategies. Key executives including Ken Ramirez, head of the energy and hydrogen business division at Hyundai Motor Group, and Ronnie Chalmers, vice president at Air Liquide, presented strategies for both countries to pursue a joint hydrogen initiative for swifter decarbonization.

Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, third from right, and Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun, second from right, attend the closing ceremony of the Korea-France Business Dialogue in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

The deep tech session, which focused on AI and quantum computing, also served as a key event for both sides to generate synergies in emerging growth areas. Both sides discussed ways to accelerate their partnership, particularly between Korea’s industrial expertise and France’s prowess in basic science.

“France has been a core economic partner with Korea,” FKI Chairman Ryu Jin said. “Governments from both countries are advised to provide active support for Korea and France to draw specific outcomes in future industries.”

The prime minister also delivered a message of strong support for deeper business and economic partnerships between the two countries, saying their cooperation is rapidly expanding beyond traditional areas into state-of-the-art fields such as nuclear energy and aviation.

Companies from both countries signed a total of 12 memorandums of understanding in energy, cutting-edge tech and bio on the sidelines of the dialogue. They also agreed to elevate industrial cooperation and strengthen joint investments in promising next-generation growth areas.