Park In-kyu, Head of the Science and Technology Innovation Office at the Ministry of Science and ICT, attended the 2026 U.S.-Korea Conference on Science, Technology and Entrepreneurship (UKC 2026) held in Orlando, U.S., where he encouraged Korean-American scientists and engineers and discussed ways to expand bilateral science and technology cooperation and innovation centered on them. The occasion once again underscored the need for Korea-U.S. international cooperation in strategic technology fields represented by artificial intelligence (AI), space, and quantum.
 [코리안투데이] Park In-kyu, Head of the Science and Technology Innovation Office, delivers a congratulatory address at the opening ceremony of UKC 2026 © 장형임 기자 |
The Ministry of Science and ICT (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bae Kyung-hoon) announced that Park In-kyu, Head of the Science and Technology Innovation Office, attended the 2026 U.S.-Korea Conference (UKC 2026) to encourage Korean-American scientists and engineers and to discuss ways to link, cooperate, and innovate between scientists and engineers of the two countries.
The UKC is an academic conference hosted by the Korean-American Scientists and Engineers Association to promote personnel exchange between Korean and American scientists and engineers and to facilitate academic discussion and information exchange among overseas Korean scientists and engineers. This year’s event, co-hosted by the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies and the Korea-U.S. Science Cooperation Center, was held from August 5 to 8 at the Omni Hotel Orlando at ChampionsGate in Orlando, U.S. Marking its 39th year, the conference was organized under the theme ‘From Imagination to Innovation, and into Reality,’ featuring three keynote lectures, technical sessions across eight fields, and seven special sessions.
The keynote lectures were delivered by William Phillips, a Fellow at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and 1997 Nobel laureate in Physics, on ‘A New Way to Measure: Improving the Modern Metric System through Quantum’; by Chris Malachowsky, co-founder of NVIDIA, on ‘Expanding Accessibility, Building the Future’; and by Lee Ji-hyun, a professor at the University of Florida and the 120th president of the American Statistical Association, on ‘Food, Medicine, and Belief: Scientific Evidence in an Age of Uncertainty.’
In his congratulatory address at the opening ceremony, Head Park celebrated the 39th UKC and emphasized the importance of Korean-American scientists and engineers who serve as a bridge for Korea-U.S. science and technology cooperation. He then pledged continued support so that the UKC would deepen trust among scientists and engineers of the two countries and serve as a venue for exchange toward innovation.
Attending the AI and Space Signature Forum and the Quantum-AI Application Forum, Head Park stressed the need for Korea-U.S. cooperation in strategic technology fields such as AI, space, and quantum, stating that ‘international cooperation is essential to respond to a changing technological environment such as the New Space era and the great AI transformation and to achieve national growth.’ At the Science Policy and Diplomacy Forum, he assessed AI as a powerful tool that is transforming the way basic science research is conducted, and explained that the ‘Act on the Management and Promotion of Utilization of National Research Data’ had been enacted to enhance the public use of research data, a core asset in the AI era. He added that he would generate outcomes by advancing international cooperation and personnel exchange in areas such as basic science research using AI.
On August 7, Head Park visited the Kennedy Space Center, touring facilities related to space exploration and receiving briefings on space exploration programs such as the Artemis program, in which Korea and others participate. There, he introduced the role of the Science and Technology Innovation Office, which plans and implements government-wide science and technology policy, as well as its policy cooperation with the Korea AeroSpace Administration. He also emphasized that Korea designates and nurtures national strategic technologies in consideration of their diplomatic and security strategic importance, their impact on the national economy and related industries, and the creation of future innovation such as new technologies and new industries, and that the aerospace and marine fields are included among them, supporting reusable launch vehicles, satellite systems and payloads, and space exploration.
Head Park stated, ‘Achievements that transform human life are difficult to realize by any single nation alone, and cooperation that transcends national borders is essential to bring them about,’ adding, ‘In particular, Korea-U.S. science and technology cooperation is more important than ever, and the role of Korean-American scientists and engineers is crucial in cooperation with the United States. We will actively support Korea-U.S. research cooperation, including joint research and personnel exchange, so that this experience and these achievements can carry over into domestic research settings.’
지역 홍보대사 신청 기자양성과정 신청 코리안투데이 지부장 신청 코리안투데이 인천강화코리안브랜드대상 신청 최고경영인대상 신청 소비자만족도대상 신청
<저작권자 ⓒ 코리안투데이(The Korean Today) 무단전재 및 재배포 금지>
