EKC 2018 - Welcome Message

Migeun Park

On behalf of the Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in the UK (KSEAUK), I should like to welcome you to the 11th Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology (EKC) in 2018, which will be held in Glasgow, Scotland. EKC 2018 is hosted by KSEAUK together with the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST) and the eight other Korean Scientists and Engineers Associations in Europe: Germany (VeKNI), France (ASCoF), Austria (KOSEAA), Netherland (KOSEANL), Switzerland (KSEAS), Finland (KOSES), Scandinavia (KSSEA), and Belgium (KOSEABe). EKC is an annual conference where scientists, engineers, government officials, industry executives, and policy-makers from both Korea and Europe share expertise and ideas and develop networking and collaboration. EKC 2018 in Glasgow will continue a tradition that started in 2008 in Heidelberg, followed by annual meetings in Reading, Vienna, Paris, Berlin, Brighton, Vienna, Strasbourg, Berlin and Stockholm. Korea and the UK, Germany and France are among the world’s top ten countries for Gross domestic Expenditure in R&D (GERD), and the aim of EKC 2018, as with previous EKC meetings, is to bring together Korean scientists and engineers in Europe and in Korea working on new and novel frontiers, and of helping European scientists and engineers to form links with Korean nationals. This year’s meeting has as its theme the Fourth Industrial Revolution and it is being promoted at EKC 2018 under the title;
Science, Technology and Humanity: Portal 4 Industry
The conference program includes forums, sessions and workshops to cover broad areas of science and technology, including, but not limited, to science, engineering, technology, entrepreneurship and science policy, and to deliver a wider view of the role of all those areas for global society. We look forward to your participation in EKC 2018 and to seeing you in Glasgow later this year! Migeun Park, Ph.D. Chair of the EKC 2018 President of Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in the UK

Myung-Ja Kim

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen; welcome to the 2018 Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology. As the President of the KOFST, I feel privileged to cohost the EKC 2018 and to take part in the opening ceremony that gathers esteemed scientists and engineers from home and abroad. I wish at the outset to extend my deep appreciation to President Migeun Park and the members of the Korean scientists and engineers association in Europe for their invaluable commitment in orchestrating this successful conference. The theme of this year’s EKC, ‘Science, Technology and Humanity – Portal 4 Industry’, aims to develop the understanding of an interaction between science technology and human values. It is very significant and timely that we have gathered here in Glasgow to deliberate on this theme. This should come as no surprise since Scotland is the birthplace of James George Frazer who is the author of The Golden Bough that made a great stride in the development of modern anthropology, while it is also a native home to James Watt who was decisive in ushering in the 18th century Industrial Revolution through his improvement of the steam engine. Even today, Glasgow is one of Europe’s most renowned cities with academic legacy, which undoubtedly makes it a fitting venue for the EKC 2018. Since Klaus Schwab announced the emergence of the 4IR at the 2016 World Economic Forum, the term gave birth to other eye-catching buzzwords such as digital transformation, Industry 4.0 and Society 5.0, all of which signify a fundamental shift in how our future societies may be structured in association with ST&I. The 4IR is not something of the distant future. The KOFST again conducted a survey on the 4th IR, last May, to find that 81% of the 2,761 scientists and engineers responded that “the 4IR is in progress.” Indeed, it is already here with us and its impacts are gradually becoming an integral part of our daily experiences. Notwithstanding the minor differences in defining the scale and scope of technological aspects, we have entered an era characterized by convergence of technologies across the physical, digital and biological spheres. Recent technological changes imply several consequences, including the destructive innovation of each industry, as well as the transformation of entire systems across production methods, management, governance and what not. Such changes may also intensify societal tensions due to increasing segregation of a job market into “low-skilled, low-paid” and “high-skilled, high-paid”. In the midst of hyper change, the forward-thinking countries have already embarked on a process to embrace the inevitable wave of the 4IR in shaping the future of the nations’ sustainable and inclusive growth. The EKC 2018 provides symposiums and forums to cover a range of core subjects including Inclusive Development and Appropriate Technology, Information Technology and Machine Learning that will help usher in the 4IR. I expect that the EKC 2018 will be a meaningful platform to share profound insights and foster innovative ideas on ST&I that will expedite a transformational shift in the landscape of our industries and society. Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, I highly anticipate that EKC will prove instrumental for Korean and Europe scientists and engineers in seeking opportunities to take another leap forward by riding the huge wave of the 4IR as both countries face internal and external challenges ahead. I believe that scientists and engineers as protagonist for ST&I should be prepared to take on heightened levels of social responsibility commensurate with their roles in the new changes. While addressing specific issues and problems, we must not lose sight of the big picture, always keeping in mind the purpose of our work and its potential ramifications. Over the course of that journey, I hope that participants gathered here today will lead the way as a bridge between Korea and Europe. Rest assured, the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST) will always remain committed to your noble and arduous work. With these few remarks, I would like to once again convey my sincere thanks to the dedicated staff of all the associations in Europe who have displayed exemplary service in preparation of this Conference. In closing, I wish you all the best and happiness in your future endeavors. Thank you. Myung-Ja Kim, Ph.D. Co-Chair of the EKC 2018 President of the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies