At the invitation of Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Klaus Schwab, Park Young-sun, Minister of SMEs and Startups will attend the 2020 Annual Meeting of WEF, better known as the Davos Forum. The Forum will take place in Davos, the Swiss Confederation, from January 21 to 24.

WEF started in 1971 when Professor Klaus Schwab invited European stakeholders to discuss economic issues in Europe. It has now developed into an International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation, by providing numerous platforms for stakeholders from business, government, international organizations, civil society and academia to collaborate.

Minister Park was invited to the Davos Forum as a Board of Steward for ‘Platform for Shaping the Future of Advanced Manufacturing and Production’ (AMP Board of Stewards). “It shows how much Davos Forum values SMEs and startup policy,” the Minister said.

In the past, Kim Hyun-chong, Second Deputy Chief of the Blue House National Security Office, was appointed as a Board of Steward for “Platform for Shaping the Future of Trade and Global Economic Interdependence” of WEF.

Minister Park will attend the Davos Forum as a Board member of AMP. Her term as a Board member is due to end in December 2020 and may extend unless there is a significant change in her position. The AMP Board members consist of about 20 significant leaders from governments or businessmen in the manufacturing sector around the world.

The Davos Forum was the first to propose the term ‘Fourth Industrial Revolution’ in the year 2016. The agenda for 2020 Davos Forum is ‘Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World.’ Total 70 Head of States, 300 Ministers, 1,500 CEOs are expected to participate in 2020 Davos Forum.

On January 21, Minister Park is to attend ‘Unlocking Manufacturing Innovation through Data Sharing’ to discuss opportunities in data sharing and best practices for building data ecosystems in manufacturing. Minister park will share her ideas on Manufacturing Data Center for SMEs and Startups, which is a new project starting this year by MSS.

On January 22, Minister Park will attend AMP Board of Stewards Meeting and discuss about major projects of AMP, including Global Lighthouse Factory Project.

On January 23, Minister will attend the Informal Gathering of World Economic Leaders, IGWEL, to present her views on ‘Keeping Pace – Technology Governance at a Crossroads’.

Taking the opportunity of joining the Davos Forum, Minister Park is also planning to have bilateral meetings with other attendees including: Børge Brende, President of WEF; Dorothy Tembo, Executive Director of ITC, and Michael Punke, Vice President of Amazon Web Service. She discussed ways to help SMEs digitalize and encourage innovative startups in the new era of Fourth Industrial Revolution.
(* International Trade Centre, ITC, is a joint agency of the UN and the WTO founded in 1964. Its headquarter is located in Geneva, the Swiss Confederation.)

Minister Park said that with technology and society changing faster than ever, it is essential for the government to act fast upon innovative SMEs and Startups. Engaging in the Davos Forum is closely related to MSS’s policy goal this year: 'Great Transition to Digital Economy, Smart Korea'.

Ministry of SMEs and Startups