13th Foodpolis Conference an Opportunity to Share Vision on New Trends like ‘Big Blur’

President Kim Young-jae of the Korea Food Industry Promotion Agency gives a commemorative speech at the 13th Foodpolis International Conference at the national food cluster, also known as Foodpolis, on May 24. (Photos: Foodpolis)

The Korea Food Industry Promotion Agency successfully wrapped up the 13th Foodpolis International Conference at the national food cluster, also known as Foodpolis, on May 24.

The conference, the first-in-person event in three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, brought together spectators and served as an opportunity to share future visions on new trends, such as the trend dubbed “Big Blur.”

Big Blur is a phenomenon in which barriers among industries are breaking down fast in the wake of the development of advanced technologies like AI and swift changes within the social environment.

In his opening speech at the conference, President Kim Young-jae of the Korea Food Industry Promotion Agency said, “How diverse industries are converged and their synergetic effects have been experienced, and the Korea Food Industry Promotion Agency will devote itself to spearheading efforts to help Korean companies cope with the food tech-based future food industry.”

President Kim’s speech was followed by commemorative speeches by Minister Chung Hwang-keun of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA), Chairman Soh Byung-hoon of the National Assembly Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee and Jeollabuk-do Gov. Kim Kwan-young.

Dan Solis, Assistant Commissioner of the U.S. FDA, gave a keynote speech on cases of the United States’ use of advanced AI technologies in the management of fisheries imports.

The conference consisted of four sessions on foodtech, on-demand, food engineering and infraTech.

Attendees were given the chance to look at senior food products, alternative food and functional food products, outcomes of Foodpolis’ corporate support and food-tech.

In particular, three kinds of barista robots offered coffee and beverage drinks to the attendees.

Zones such as meat alternative 3D printers, unmanned buses and VR experience areas saw a good reception from spectators.

A Foodpolis partner company president on hand said the conference was a significant opportunity for SMEs to discuss solutions to survive the rapidly changing food industry, caused by food tech.

A poster to promote the 13th Foodpolis International Conference at Foodpolis.

In the first session on food tech, Kwon Ki-hyun, a senior researcher with Korea Food Research Institute, spoke of the recent rising use of robots in the food manufacturing industry and its applications of food processing while Ye So-won, Director with Cognex, stated AT tech’s innovative impact on food production and processing.

In the second session on on-demand, Lee Hyun-jae, Director with Baemin, explained about how to effectively utilize advanced technologies through commercialization of self-driving and serving robots and future outlooks.

President Jang Jin-ho of Punta Company announced strategies on how the nation’s first online tasting platform will creep into the food ecosystem.

In the third session on food engineering, Christine Lewington, Chief Executive Officer of PIP International of Canada, spoke of an agricultural tech innovation case of producing vegetable protein.

Jung Ji-won, general manager of CJ, announced research on seeds to secure product diversity, quality and price competitiveness.

In the fourth session, on infraTech, CEO Lars Visbech Sørensen of Food & Bio Cluster Denmark discussed ways of developing the food industry through the implementation of projects with major clusters of 10 Asian and European countries.

Dr. Yoon Jong-pil of SK Telecom made a presentation on the provision of convergence services through AI logistics systems and remotely controlled monitoring functions, provided via 5G telecom networks.