By Kim Se-jeong
Staff Reporter
For many who associate Italy only with fashion, food and tourism, the president of an Italian telecommunication research team has something to say: ``You shouldn't forget that in past centuries, Italy has always been a leader in technology.''
Giancarlo Prati, president of Consorzio Nazionale Interuniversitario per le Telecommunicazioni (CNIT), an Italian consortium of 37 universities for telecommunications, then, added two historical figures as examples.
One is Guglielmo Marconi (1874-1937), inventor of the radiotelegraph system, and Antonio Meucci (1808-1889), inventor of the telephone. People have conveniently remembered Alexander Graham Bell of America as the inventor, but Meucci was actually the inventor, he said.
``I know the image is more related to Ferrari, a racing car, but that is also technology,'' Prati said, implying modern Italian technology is still reigning in the global arena of information and communication technology.
One of the flagships in Italian technology is the radar system in which the country is the leading producer, he said.
Prati came to Korea to participate in a series of workshops on telecommunications and to discuss ways to improve collaboration with Korea in that field. The venue was part of the ``Year of Italy in Korea,'' consisting of various promotional events in Korea on diverse subjects related to Italy.
The collaboration exists with more room to grow, Prati said. ``We want to strengthen the collaboration in sectors like communication that's vital to the economy, social life and future of our societies.''
The CNIT has already had research projects in cooperation with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology, the host of the workshops, and Seoul National University.
Additionally, a memorandum of understanding was signed between former Minister of Information and Communication Rho Jun-hyong and the Italian Minister of Communication Paolo Gentiloni in February last year.
A private Italian telecom company ``Telecom Italia'' signed an agreement with Samsung Electronics in provision of WiBRO system, a wireless broadband Internet technology developed by Samsung.
``Korea and Italy are compatible in technology and it's good to communicate,'' Prati said.