The European Union and the Republic of Korea held the first Digital Partnership council in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, to strengthen economic resilience.
The Digital Partnership council was co-chaired by Commissioner for the Internal Market, Thierry Breton, and by Korean Minister for Science and ICT, Mr Lee Jong-Ho.
The EU and the Republic of Korea agreed on key outcomes to advance co-operation for an inclusive and digital transformation.
They agreed to work on Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, platform economy, semiconductors, High Performance Computing (HPC) and Quantum technology, and 5G and beyond.
Outcomes of the first Digital Partnership council
Both the Republic of Korea and the EU committed to co-operate on emerging technologies that were put forward in the EU economic security strategy.
As they both have leading capabilities in semiconductors, the EU and the Republic of Korea decided to establish a ROK-EU Forum for Semiconductor Researchers. This intends to promote research in complementary areas.
At the Digital Partnership council, both partners agreed to join forces in the area of High Performance Computing. They aim to develop applications for use in cases of common interest such as extreme weather events or material science.
To achieve their objectives, they will seek to facilitate researchers’ access to respective HPC infrastructures.
Also, a Quantum expert group will be established to work on standards and research.
A common vision for 6G will be defined, building on their leadership in 5G technologies.
Increasing co-operation around Artificial Intelligence and establishing a permanent dialogue was also discussed at the Digital Partnership council. This will allow a regular update from each side on initiatives for a trustworthy AI, including on large models of generative AI and support common approaches in international standards bodies related to Artificial Intelligence.
At the council, the EU and Korea took steps to bolster their co-operation for an inclusive and resilient digital transformation.
They share the same vision for a secure online environment that balances innovation, safety, and fairness.
Co-operation on cybersecurity will be enhanced through information exchange and industrial collaboration. Both regions will continue to implement the principles of the Declaration for the Future of the Internet.
What are the next steps?
The EU and the Republic of Korea agreed to exchange information on the semiconductor supply chain and to expand their co-operation in the future on secure digital connectivity infrastructure links. This includes submarine cables; digital skills and capacity-building; and exchange of best practices on digital start-ups.
The next Digital Partnership is set to be held in Brussels in early 2024. Here, progress will be reviewed and further steps to deepen the partnership will be taken.
