[Las Vegas (USA) = AVING News] “CES is a place where many people from all over the world gather to understand the future. So, it is a place that startups must go through!”
Seoul Digital Foundation Chairman Kang Je-sik, who met at Eureka Park at the Venetian Expo Center in Las Vegas on the 6th (local time), placed great importance on the field experience of CES.
CES2022 failed to be a box office success as not only major global companies but also startups participated in the event due to the spread of COVID-19, but many things have changed this year. More than 2,800 companies from 17 countries around the world participated, returning to previous years. This is an increase of more than 40% compared to last year.
In line with this, the Seoul Foundation is working quickly with domestic startups and producing results even before the opening of CES2023.
First, in July of last year, the ‘3rd Stage Eureka’ was held to recruit companies participating in CES 2023 and participated in CES 2023 with 10 companies selected through IR pitching. Among them, four companies achieved the feat of winning five ‘CES 2023 Innovation Awards’ and were recognized for their technology, design, and innovation.
Not only that, news of a purchase agreement was also heard on site.
Smartus Korea (CEO Son Ho-jeong), which developed a home oral monitoring device supported by the Seoul Foundation, confirmed an equipment purchase contract worth $101,300 at CES2023. In addition, Smartus Korea received a double blessing at CES 2023 by receiving innovation awards in the fields of Digital Health and Software Mobile App.
Behind the achievements of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, there was strong support from Seoul Digital Foundation Chairman Kang Je-sik, based on quick response and performance creation for innovative companies in Seoul.
On the 6th (local time), AVING News was able to meet and talk directly with Kang Je-sik, chairman of the Seoul Digital Foundation, a startup hope, at CES 2023.
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Q. Editor-in-chief Choi Ji-hoon: This is the third year that the Seoul Digital Foundation has participated in CES. How do you feel about visiting the world’s largest tech exhibition again?
A. Chairman Kang Je-sik: As I have participated in CES over the past few years, I have been able to watch the exhibition and participating companies grow together. Although it slowed down for a while due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of companies gathered at this event has increased day by day, and above all, the number of domestic companies that have won the ‘Innovation Award’ given by the organizer, CTA, in recognition of their technological prowess and competitiveness has also increased significantly. It is meaningful that we were able to achieve such great results.
Q. Editor-in-Chief Choi Ji-hoon: Please introduce the Seoul Digital Foundation.
A. Chairman Kang Je-sik: The Seoul Digital Foundation is an organization that serves as a ‘control tower’ for the digital transformation of Seoul, the capital of Korea. We are actively working to introduce technologies representing the 4th Industrial Revolution, such as artificial intelligence (AI), metaverse, and big data, into Seoul City’s tasks and administration. In addition, we have supported startups wishing to participate in domestic and international exhibitions such as CES, and have also promoted inclusive education to minimize the digital gap that exists between each class.
Q. Editor-in-Chief Choi Ji-hoon: At CES 2023, we are operating a K-STARTUP joint pavilion with the Seoul Business Agency and the Korea Entrepreneurship Promotion Agency. As a result, you were able to represent not only Seoul but also Korea at CES. What kind of synergy effects were you able to achieve?
A. Chairman Kang Je-sik: Collaboration between the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups also played a major role in the background of this K-STARTUP joint pavilion. Foundations and companies alike are working to create as much value as possible under that harmony. In fact, 5 out of 20 Seoul Digital Foundation companies that participated in this CES enjoyed honors, including receiving innovation awards. We feel great pride in being recognized as a company with innovation and representativeness while various companies in each field are showcasing their own technologies and products.
Additionally, of the nearly 400 Korean companies participating in this year’s exhibition, I understand that 65% of them are startups. This is proof that there are a large number of startups with excellent competitiveness in Korea, and most of them have a strong desire to enter overseas markets. I believe that good influence is naturally exerted among them.
Q. Editor-in-chief Choi Ji-hoon: I recently heard that the Seoul Digital Foundation has achieved good results internationally in its smart city project.
A. Chairman Kang Je-sik: We received the Best City Award in the urban strategy category at the ‘Smart City Expo World Congress 2022 (SCWC 2022)’, the largest smart city international event held last year. This is the result of the fourth attempt following 2015, 2016, and 2019, and it is truly a dream come true. It would be no exaggeration to say that at that time, it felt like winning the World Cup.
The results of these awards reflect the effectiveness of the foundation’s inclusive policy for the digitally underprivileged. At the same time, achievements such as the ‘Metaverse Seoul’ platform being selected as the best invention in the metaverse field in the ‘2022 Best Inventions 2022’ selected by the American current affairs weekly Time magazine could also serve as the background for the award.
Q. Editor-in-Chief Choi Ji-hoon: This representative achievement is expected to be of great significance to companies that have cooperated with the foundation.
A. Chairman Kang Je-sik: Of course. As cities around the world compete for great authority, this is a tremendous result that improves the status of the city of Seoul around the world. Accordingly, I believe that this will be of great help to Seoul-based companies when seeking sales channels overseas.
Furthermore, at this year’s SCWC (Smart City Expo World Congress), we plan to set up a larger exhibition booth than before. At the same time, we will strive to promote Seoul’s excellent digital policies to the world by increasing the participation rate of local constituencies in the city.
Q. Editor-in-Chief Choi Ji-hoon: What kind of future are you envisioning as you watch the K-STARTUP joint pavilion participating in this CES 2023?
A. Chairman Kang Je-sik: In order to lead the future industry, we need to have the ability to stay ahead of this. CES is a place where many people from all over the world gather to understand the future. Above all, regardless of field, new technologies are always evolving and becoming more common. In the process, it is important for companies to consider and realize how to commercialize their technology and convert it into a service. So, I think CES is an event that startups must attend.
Personally, the field I have the most expectations for is the ‘Metaverse’ field. In particular, we are focusing on the direction of building a new space where human intelligence can gather and overcome the limitations of reality. This will soon become a vision that will improve the quality of human life, and CES, where various visions come together and harmonize, is also a venue that suggests the direction in which humanity will move forward.
Q. Editor-in-Chief Choi Ji-hoon: Please say a few words for the Seoul companies gathered here.
A. Chairman Kang Je-sik: In line with the purpose of CES 2023’s slogan, ‘BE IN IT,’ I hope that everyone will be able to gain various insights through this field experience and open up their own future. In line with this, the Seoul Digital Foundation promises to do its best to help companies enter the global market.
Of course, companies must also make full preparations to receive help from the foundation. I hope that both the foundation and the company will do their best to grow together.
Meanwhile, ‘CES’, the world’s largest IT exhibition, is an exhibition where you can understand the trends of the global home appliance industry at a glance. Hosted by the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), it is held every January in Las Vegas, USA. AVING News, which has covered CES for 1 consecutive years, has reported CES news around the world every year since 17, and has been selected as the ‘BEST OF CES’, which selects the best innovative products and technologies, and the ‘BEST OF’, which selects domestic innovative companies. ‘MADE IN KOREA’ was held. In addition, CES on-site issues were vividly conveyed through ‘AVING LIVE’.