Korean Academy of Engineering Hosts 'IS4T Forum'... Exploring 2040 Future Strategies

Sharing Future Scenario Predictions and Response Strategies for 2040

The National Academy of Engineering of Korea will hold the IS4T Forum on the 14th at the Chosun Palace Hotel in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, under the theme "Korea 2040: An Irreplaceable Nation." This forum is organized to predict the global future scenarios for 2040 and to present and share research results on Korea's response strategies. Key leaders from industry, academia, and research sectors are expected to attend, transcending industry boundaries.

The National Academy of Engineering of Korea established the Industrial Future Strategy Committee in 2018 to strengthen the future competitiveness of national industries and achieve sustainable growth in response to the rapidly changing global economy and technological environment. Since then, related research has been continuously conducted, and in June, a "Scenario Planning Workshop" attended by over 100 top scholars was held to identify the core domains that will enhance the nation's industrial competitiveness by 2040. Specifically, these seven domains are ▲Artificial Super Intelligence ▲Energy & Environment ▲Future Mobility ▲Biomedical ▲Manufacturing & Farming ▲ICT Ecosystem ▲Living Infrastructure.

At this forum, the National Academy of Engineering of Korea will share the predicted future world scenarios for 2040, centered on "Future Technological Innovation and Global Geopolitics," and propose strategic directions for each of the seven core domains mentioned above.

The first session's theme is "Scenario and Vision Strategy." Professor Jang Seok-gwon, Professor Emeritus at Hanyang University, will emphasize the urgent need to secure irreplaceability for Korea's survival and prosperity. Professor Bae Jong-tae of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) will present what preparations are necessary for Korea to become an irreplaceable nation and the background behind the selection of the seven core domains.

In the second session, executives from various industrial sectors will participate as speakers to present "Domain-specific Irreplaceability Promotion Strategies." In the following discussion, Jang Woong-sung, Director of the R&D Strategy Planning Division at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, will chair the session and lead discussions with forum speakers on the presented topics.

The National Academy of Engineering of Korea hopes that through this forum, it can share the challenges facing Korea's industries, discuss solutions, improve the social atmosphere, and anticipate future new industries and technological developments. It is expected to assist in determining key industrial policy directions and priorities.

Kim Ki-nam, President of the National Academy of Engineering of Korea, stated, "To proactively respond to the uncertain global complex crisis, it is crucial to select core areas of focus and foster connections and cooperation among related entities such as the government and companies." He added, "The Academy plans to faithfully fulfill its role as a platform for this purpose."

The National Academy of Engineering of Korea plans to continue in-depth research as a follow-up and release a report titled "Korea Industrial Future Strategy 2040 (tentative)" next year, containing concrete action plans. This report is expected to serve as essential material for establishing national industrial policies and corporate strategies. The Academy also announced plans to pursue ongoing cooperation with government ministries.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.