Korea and Japan Hold 5th Economic Roundtable in Tokyo

The Korea International Trade Association and the Japan Economic Club jointly held the 5th Korea-Japan Economic Roundtable at the International House of Japan in Tokyo on June 15. [Photo=KITA]

The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) and the Japan Economic Club discussed cooperation in the AI industry among business leaders from both countries. Key topics included power efficiency in data centers and care robots, which both nations can address together.

On June 15, KITA and the Japan Economic Club held the 5th Korea-Japan Economic Roundtable at the International House of Japan in Tokyo. The theme of the meeting was "Strengthening Korea-Japan Industrial Cooperation in the Age of Artificial Intelligence."

The Korea-Japan Economic Roundtable serves as a cooperative channel established by KITA's Korea-Japan Exchange Special Committee and the Japan Economic Club to enhance exchanges and private cooperation between business leaders from both countries. The meetings alternate between Korea and Japan, starting with the first meeting in Tokyo in May 2024.

About 30 business leaders from both countries attended the meeting, including Jang Jae-jin, chairman of Orient Bio; Honma Masahiko, managing partner of Incubate Fund; and Muta Masaaki, president of Transcosmos. From Korea, AI startups such as Furiosa AI, Newbility, Luton Technologies, and Buren Technologies participated to explore collaboration opportunities with Japanese companies like NTT and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

The first session addressed the issue of power efficiency in AI data centers. Jang Jae-jin from Furiosa AI and Katsuhiko Kawazoe, a senior fellow at NTT, presented on the increasing power demand due to AI proliferation and shared strategies for building high-efficiency infrastructure.

Industry experts noted that as the burden of electricity costs for AI data centers grows, infrastructure cooperation combining high-performance semiconductors, low-power AI chips, cooling, and power management technologies is emerging as a key area of collaboration between Korean and Japanese companies.

The second session focused on the use of physical AI and robotics for elderly care. Kazuhiko Ichikawa, head of healthcare at Kawasaki Heavy Industries, and Kang Gi-hyuk, CEO of Newbility, led the presentations. Participants agreed on the need to expand cooperation in care robots and physical AI technologies to address aging and labor shortages.

Acting Chairman Jang Jae-jin stated, "The recent Korea-Japan summit has strengthened the momentum for cooperation between the two countries. The AI industry is a representative area where Korea and Japan can grow together."

KITA plans to hold the 6th Korea-Japan Economic Roundtable in Seoul in the second half of the year, based on the agendas discussed at this meeting. The next meeting will review the outcomes of cooperation projects in AI and robotics and discuss specific collaboration plans.

* This article has been translated by AI.