On October 17, Assistant Vice President Jin Ho Lee of the Materials and Components Basic Research Division of the ICT Materials & Components Research Laboratory was awarded a Prime Minister’s Commendation at Korea Electronics Show 2017, held by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The commendation was awarded as the governmental prize for those who had made contributions to the electronics industry, in celebration of the 12th Electronics & IT Day. Dr. Lee was recognized for his significant contribution to strengthening competitiveness of the electronics and IT industry, which makes up the largest volume of Korea’s exports.

At the ceremony for 2017 World Standards Day held on October 19, ETRI’s researchers were recognized for their contribution to strengthening the competitiveness of national standards. Principal Researcher Seung Yun Lee of the Protocol Engineering Center of the Future Technology & Strategy Research Laboratory was awarded a Presidential Citation. In addition, the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Citation was granted to Senior Researcher Ho Jin Park of the IoT Research Division of the Hyper-Connected Communication Research Laboratory; Principal Researcher Du Hui Jo of the Reality Device Research Division of the ICT Materials & Components Research Laboratory; and Researcher Si Hwan Jang of the Creative Content Research Division of the SW/Contents Research Laboratory. At the ceremony, Principal Researcher Seong Deok An of the Reality Device Research Division of the ICT Materials & Components Research Laboratory won an IEC Award for his contribution to international standardization activities in the field of electronic display.

ETRI has formed partnerships with SMEs and achieved commercialization through customized technical support. The project for customized technical assistance for E-family business over the past three years resulted in an economic outcome worth KRW 90 billion in total as well as 520 jobs. Based on this achievement, ETRI published a book about the stories of ETRI researchers’ efforts and activities for commercialization at SMEs. Entitled Perfect Harmony for Prosperous SMEs, the book introduces seven exemplary cases of ETRI’s technical assistance to SMEs.

ETRI and Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements entered into a business agreement aimed at collaboration for future analysis and prediction technology in the field of housing and urban construction. With this arrangement, ETRI plans to employ artificial intelligence and big data technology in the area of housing and urban construction to ensure efficient use, development, and preservation of national territorial resources.

ETRI revealed its blueprint for future society to be enabled by the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Held on November 10, ETRI IDX Conference 2017 became the first venue to introduce ETRI’s IDX strategy to lead the Fourth Industrial Revolution and ETRI’s open API service based on artificial intelligence technology. Representing intelligent digital X(trans)-formation, the IDX strategy is an intelligent digital innovation designed to apply ICT to all industrial areas to encourage changes in public and industrial ecosystems. To shift toward the IDX era, ETRI has formed and operated five IDX promotion committees in national defense, medical services, administration, manufacturing, and agriculture and fisheries.

The hyper-connected 5G era promises connection between people, between objects, and between people and objects. ETRI has recently published Technology for Future, Arrival of 5G Era, to introduce the ripple effect of 5G technology, which is the core infrastructure of the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As the post-4G next-generation mobile communication standard, 5G is covered throughout the book with the future vision and major technologies and goals.

Senior Vice President Seong Ku Hwang of ETRI’s Hyper-Connected Communication Research Laboratory won an Achievement Award at the 44th Assembly of the Korean Institute of Communications and Information Sciences.

ETRI held the ICT Road Show to help small businesses in the ICT industry enter the markets in Thailand and Vietnam. Held on November 14 in Thailand and on November 16-17 in Vietnam, ICT Road Show was attended by eight Korean SMEs. The event as well as the technology conference introduced Korean small businesses’ ICT capability, taking a step toward their entry into overseas markets. Following the road show, ETRI plans to continue developing cooperative measures and business partnerships to help Korean ICT equipment businesses enter the global market.