May 2, 2023 | Seoul

On the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and Switzerland, the Science and Technology Office of the Embassy of Switzerland in Seoul, which is part of the Swissnex network, is launching a special Swiss-Korean Innovation Week featuring quantum science and technology among its key topics.

On May 18, Swiss and Korean quantum leaders will gather for an extended dialogue at the Center for Quantum Nanoscience (QNS) at Ewha Womans University. Researchers, innovators, and policymakers from Switzerland and Korea will present their perspectives on the transition from the digital age to the age of quantum, share examples of applications, and discuss the role of scholars and innovators in fostering international cooperation.

The dialogue will feature policymakers from both countries, including Tae Seog Oh, 1st Vice-Minister of Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT, and Guy Parmelin, Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research. On the academic side, Eun Mee Kim, President of Ewha Womans University, and Michael Hengartner, President of the ETH Board, will offer remarks. A mixture of keynotes and panels will feature leading quantum researchers from the ETH Zurich, the University of Basel, Sungkyunkwan University, and Hanbat National University.

The researchers and policymakers will be joined by CEOs from pioneering quantum companies such as Sadik Hafizovic (Zurich Instruments), Grégoire Ribordy (ID Quantique), and Jiwon Yune (SDT). ID Quantique, headquartered in Geneva, has developed a nationwide quantum key distribution (QKD) network for South Korea and partnered with Samsung to offer a cell phone with the world’s smallest quantum random number generator.

Find out more and register for the event here.

To learn more about quantum in Korea, download Swissnex’s recent report on quantum ecosystems in the Asia-Pacific region.