FKI Holds Korea-France Business Roundtable

[Financial News] The business communities of Korea and France will expand cooperation in future strategic industries, including artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, future mobility, energy, and bio and beauty. Three agreements, including an investment agreement between Samsung Electronics and Mistral AI, were also signed during the summit-level diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) said on the 9th that it had jointly hosted the Korea-France Business Roundtable with the Mouvement des Entreprises de France (MEDEF) at the Hôtel de Marigny in Paris, France, on the 8th (local time). About 30 government officials and business leaders from both countries attended the event, which was organized to coincide with President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to France.
Korean participants included FKI Chairman Ryu Jin, Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong, LS Group Chairman Koo Ja-eun, and Naver CEO Soo Yeon Choi. French participants included Air Liquide CEO François Jackow, BNP Paribas Chairman Jean Lemierre, and Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch.
Companies from both countries discussed ways to expand cooperation in advanced technologies, including AI and quantum computing, as well as energy, decarbonized mobility, and health and beauty.
In AI, Naver and Mistral AI, a developer of frontier AI models, agreed to expand cooperation in sovereign AI and AI factories. In quantum technology, participants proposed combining France’s hardware expertise with Korea’s semiconductor and AI infrastructure.
In the power and energy sector, LS Group emphasized that it could leverage its cable and power-solution capabilities to modernize France’s power grid. Hyundai Motor Company decided to make France the first European country for its Future Mobility School. Cosmax and Celltrion also shared plans to expand cooperation in the beauty and bio sectors, respectively.
During the visit, three agreements were signed: an investment agreement between Samsung Electronics and Mistral AI, a memorandum of understanding between Cosmax and L'Oréal, and a letter of intent for cooperation between Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (KHNP) and Orano.
Ryu said, "We will combine France’s scientific and technological expertise and creativity with Korea’s advanced manufacturing and innovation capabilities to expand the scope of economic cooperation into advanced industries."

[email protected] Park So-hyun Reporter