PARIS — Business leaders from South Korea and France agreed to widen cooperation in future strategic industries including artificial intelligence, quantum computing, next-generation mobility, energy, biotechnology and beauty. Three agreements were signed on the sidelines of the summit diplomacy between the two countries, including an investment pact between Samsung Electronics (005930) and Mistral AI.
The Federation of Korean Industries said on the 9th that it hosted a Korea-France Business Roundtable with France's business federation MEDEF at the Hôtel de Marigny in Paris on the 8th. About 30 government officials and business leaders from the two countries attended the event, held to mark President Lee Jae-myung's state visit to France.
The Korean delegation included FKI Chairman Ryu Jin, Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee, LS (006260) Chairman Koo Ja-eun and NAVER CEO Choi Soo-yeon. From France, Air Liquide CEO François Jacq, BNP Paribas Chairman Jean Lemierre and Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch took part.
Companies from both countries discussed cooperation in advanced technologies such as AI and quantum computing, as well as in 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 computing, participants proposed combining French hardware technology with Korean semiconductor and AI infrastructure.
In the power and energy sector, LS said it could apply its cable and power solutions capabilities to modernizing France's electricity grid. Hyundai Motor (005380) said it would make France the first European country to host its Future Mobility School. Cosmax and Celltrion (068270) each shared plans to expand cooperation in beauty and biotechnology.
Three agreements were signed during the visit: the investment pact between Samsung Electronics and Mistral AI, a memorandum of understanding between Cosmax and L'Oréal, and a letter of intent between Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Orano.
"By combining France's science, technology and creativity with Korea's advanced manufacturing and innovation capabilities, we will extend the horizon of economic cooperation into high-tech industries," Ryu said.
