South Korea is strengthening its technology alliance with France in cutting-edge fields including quantum technology and artificial intelligence (AI). A French quantum computing company plans to establish a research and development (R&D) center at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) said Thursday it held the 9th Korea-France Joint Committee on Science and Technology with France's Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space (MESRE) at the National Advisory Council on Science and Technology in Jongno-gu, Seoul. The meeting was held to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and France and French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Korea. Deputy Prime Minister and MSIT Minister Bae Gyeong-hun and MESRE Minister Philippe Baptiste attended the meeting.
The two ministers reaffirmed that both nations are key partners in the era of technological hegemony across major strategic technology fields including AI and quantum computing. Major research institutions including the Institute for Basic Science (IBS), KAIST, Seoul National University and Korea University signed memorandums of understanding with France's National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), the country's largest national research institute, to expand research cooperation and exchanges. In particular, French quantum computing firm Quandela agreed to establish an international cooperation center called "Quandela Hub" at KAIST this year and jointly pursue education, research and industry-academia collaboration projects. KAIST and Quandela plan to expand research cooperation in connection with KAIST's Quantum Fab, which is scheduled for completion next year.
The two countries shared outcomes of student exchanges between Korea's specialized science universities and France's National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) group, which have been ongoing since 2018, and agreed to expand the scope to cooperation with all French universities going forward. The Innopolis Foundation and France's technology transfer acceleration center will broaden cooperation in building innovation ecosystems, including identifying and matching demonstration needs between companies, linking investments and revitalizing international joint research. Additionally, the AI Safety Institute proposed cooperation measures with France's National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (INRIA) and other institutions, including establishing policy dialogue channels and exchanging research personnel for AI safety and security.
"This joint committee, held to coincide with the 140th anniversary of Korea-France diplomatic relations and the French president's visit to Korea, served as an opportunity to elevate the science and technology partnership between the two countries to a higher level," Deputy Prime Minister Bae said. "We will closely cooperate with France, particularly in key strategic science and technology fields such as AI and quantum computing, to jointly secure leadership in the era of global technological hegemony."