Samsung Returns as the "Elder Brother" of the Quantum Industry... Begins Strategy to Integrate Quantum Technology into Semiconductors and More

Quantum Scholar and Former Harvard Professor Hongkeun Park Makes His First Appearance as SAIT President
"Learned the Importance of Industry-Academia Collaboration Through Ten Years of Working with Nvidia and Google at Harvard"
"Deliberating on What Will Become the Killer App and Where to Invest"... Indicates Concrete Steps Ahead
Expected to Lead South Korea's Quantum Ecosystem

Hongkeun Park, President of Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), attended the Quantum Technology Council discussion held in Yeouido on the 29th. Photo by Paek Jongmin, Tech Specialist

"Over the past ten years, as part of the Harvard Quantum Initiative, I learned a lot by collaborating with companies like Nvidia and Google. I will support researchers so they can pursue innovative research."

This was the statement made by Hongkeun Park, President of Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), during his official debut appearance since taking office on January 1. Park's remark clearly expressed Samsung Electronics' determination to play a leading role in South Korea's quantum industry. With his appearance, the most powerful supporter for the government's vision of becoming a global powerhouse in quantum science and technology by 2035 has emerged.

On the 29th, at the Kensington Hotel in Yeouido, Seoul, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced its "1st Comprehensive Plan for Quantum Science Technology and Quantum Industry Development." A comprehensive discussion was held, attended by key executives from major companies participating in the newly launched Quantum Technology Council. The scientific and quantum communities paid close attention to Park's presence at the event and the discussion. Seated next to Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Baek Kyunghoon, Park engaged in in-depth conversations with government officials and experts from academia, industry, and research institutes throughout the event.

Appointed as President of SAIT in a personnel reshuffle last November and beginning his work this month, Park is a former endowed professor of chemistry and physics at Harvard University. It is rare for a professor from a fundamental academic field to be appointed as President of SAIT. This move has been interpreted as Chairman Lee Jae-yong's intention to strengthen Samsung Electronics from the ground up.

Reflecting this perception, Park candidly shared his experiences that day. The "Harvard Quantum Initiative (HQI)" he mentioned is a world-class research council established by Harvard University to integrate quantum science and engineering. Park's emphasis on industry-academia collaboration can also be interpreted as his intention to transform Samsung's research culture into an open model. His remarks suggest a plan to introduce an "open innovation" system at the level of global big tech companies like Google and Nvidia.

Park's commitment to supporting researchers' innovative work is also a declaration of leadership, indicating that Samsung will not focus solely on solving its own technological challenges but will also foster an environment where domestic researchers can take on bold and challenging projects without fear of failure, even if immediate results are not visible.

While noting that he is still early in his tenure, Park revealed his thoughts and direction regarding Samsung's quantum business strategy. He stated, "Samsung is also paying close attention to quantum technology, considering various modalities and algorithms, and deliberating on which could become the killer app and where to invest."

SAIT was once renowned as the center of domestic quantum research talent, but it is known that the organization significantly reduced its research as it shifted its focus to semiconductors. However, since last year, under Chairman Lee's directive, efforts have reportedly begun to restore quantum research.

Park's remarks suggest that once Samsung gains confidence in quantum technology, the company is prepared to shift from a "fast follower" to a "first mover" strategy in the quantum field.

At the event, not only Samsung Electronics but also executives from key technology affiliates such as Samsung Display, Samsung Biologics, and Samsung SDS were in attendance, drawing attention. This scene demonstrated that Samsung's strategy to integrate quantum technology across all industrial sectors-including overcoming the limits of semiconductor microfabrication (Electronics), discovering next-generation materials (Display), accelerating new drug development (Biologics), and enhancing cloud security (SDS)-is now underway. An industry insider commented, "Samsung's move to the forefront of the quantum sector is significant. It will energize both academia and the broader industry." Quantum technology is also important for the semiconductor division to which SAIT belongs. As semiconductor microfabrication approaches its limits, breakthroughs may be achieved through quantum research.

Park also showed an active attitude toward global collaboration. On this day, he greeted a representative from the American quantum computing company IonQ and said, "Let's meet again in Boston."

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