Korea Industrial Complex Corp. (KICOX) and Hanyang University jointly hosted the 4th Industrial Revolution International Seminar designed to take stock of Germany and Japan’s preparations for the 4th Industrial Revolution and explore ways of employing them into the Korean industry.

The seminar took place at the President Hotel in downtown Seoul in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation and the Korean Association for Public Management. It was designed to make industrial complexes lead the 4th Industrial Revolution. Starting with key-note speeches by Karl-Heinz Paque, vice president of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, and Deputy Minister Ma Chang-hwan of the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT), the seminar proceeded with lectures by four inviting Korean and foreign experts on the 4th Industrial Revolution, including Vice President Dieter Schletterer.

About 150 people from Hanyang University, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, and the Korean Association for Public Management, participated in the seminar. Among them were Hanyang University President Lee Young-moo and President Lars-Andre Richter of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Korea Office, Korean leading company and tenant company representatives. 

The seminar touched on two themes Corporate Innovation & 4th Industrial Revolution and Future Breadwinners of the 4th Industrial Revolution Era and Public Policies. 

Speakers on the first session, ‘Corporate Innovation & 4th Industrial Revolution’, handled German and Japanese cases of preparing for the 4th Industrial Revolution through Industry 4.0. The participants also shared information on a case by Siemens, Germany’s smart factory representative company. In particular, a subdivision session on corporate innovation had field discussion with CEOs of tenant companies of KICOX’s industrial complexes. KICOX has designated 180 global leading companies with growth potential.

Prof. Kim Hyung-jung of Korea University spoke on the 4th Industrial Revolution and Blockchain, while Prof. Nam Chang-woo of Kyungpook National University gave a lecture on the 4th Industrial Revolution, public administration paradigm innovation, and policy tasks. Kim Sang-woo, an economic analyst with the National Assembly Budget Office, touched on the analysis of the spill-over effects of supporting 4th Industrial Revolution R&D.

KICOX President Hwang Kyu-yearn said industrial complexes’ preparations for the advent of the 4th Industrial Revolution are very significant given that they account for production of the Korean manufacturing industry and 80 percent of Korea’s total exports. KICOX is seeking to implement such projects as the provision of information on the 4th Industrial Revolution, new technologies related to ICT, IoT, and big data, R&D education, smart factory consulting and the strengthening of collaboration among industry, academy and research circles, he said.