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KIST-Seoul Metropolitan Government Hold the Seoul Quantum Platform Forum (November 20, 2023)
- Date : 2023-11-30
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KIST-Seoul Metropolitan Government Hold the Seoul Quantum Platform Forum
On November 21, KIST (President: Seok-Jin Yoon) and the Seoul Metropolitan Government (Mayor: Se-hoon Oh) jointly held the Seoul Quantum Platform Forum at Ferrum Tower in Seoul. The forum, held for the first time this year, features discussions between quantum technology experts from all walks of life, including universities and companies, and science and technology research and policy leaders on seeking development strategies that will lead the industrialization of quantum technology in preparation for the upcoming quantum era.
Under the theme, "Seoul, Change to the Quantum Era," the forum focused on gathering experts' wisdom on topics ranging from understanding the infinite possibilities of quantum technology to finding ways to utilize it industrially to preemptively prepare for the industrialization of quantum technology. In addition, for Seoul, which has successfully created a startup ecosystem in high-tech fields such as bio and AI, a city-level development strategy was also introduced, which is expected to lead the industrialization of the quantum field, a key future strategic technology.
The forum, hosted by Sang Wook Han from KIST’s Center for Quantum Information, opened with a special lecture on the present and future of quantum technology by Professor Eun-mi Chae of Korea University, followed by a presentation on the plan to foster the quantum technology industry by Jeong-an Kim, City Manager for the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and then a presentation on strategies to respond to the quantum era by Dr. Jeong-hee Ryu of KISTI. Afterwards, a panel discussion on the presentations and a Q&A session with the audience was held, chaired by Professor Jae-wan Kim of the Korea Institute for Advanced Studies.
Using this forum as an opportunity, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to promote industrialization by connecting universities and research institutes in Seoul with more than 50 companies possessing fundamental quantum technologies, In addition, the government plans to establish the Seoul Quantum Technology Convergence Support Center in Hongneung, which is designated as a special zone for digital healthcare, in order to develop it into a quantum cluster that will foster the bio and quantum industries.
Since establishing itself as the first government-funded research institute specializing in quantum technology in 2012, KIST has made remarkable achievements by continuously conducting research on key areas for the application of quantum technology, such as computers, communications, and sensors. Notably, KIST was second in the world to successfully develop and demonstrate a room temperature quantum computer, and first to successfully establish a multilateral quantum cryptography communication test network. Recently, KIST has been building a quantum fab with government support and is actively leading cooperation with domestic and foreign universities, companies, and leading overseas institutions to secure key fundamental technologies for the industrialization of quantum technology, such as quantum error correction technology.
Tae-kyun Kim, Head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Economic Policy Office, commented, "With the government setting a goal of localizing and commercializing quantum computers by 2035, quantum technology is expected to be applied to all industries, such as transportation, logistics, safety, security, and climate. Through cooperation between industry, academia, and research institutes, we will establish a preemptive response system for transiting to the quantum era so that Seoul can become the center of quantum technology commercialization."
In his welcoming speech, Seok-Jin Yoon, President of KIST, stated, "The next five years will be the turning point for quantum technology to extend beyond the laboratory to industry, and this is the final golden hour for creating a Korean quantum ecosystem," adding, "We hope that industry, academia, and research institutes will work together above and beyond simply seeking self-sufficiency to secure technological sovereignty in the quantum field through openness and cooperation, so that Seoul can be reborn as a place where industry, academia, and research institutes converge."