Korea-Netherlands CEOs Gather to Discuss Advanced Industry Cooperation... "Contributing to Sustainable Growth"

20 Korean and Dutch Businesspeople Attend
Discussing Cooperation Plans Between Companies in Advanced Industries Such as Semiconductors, Renewable Energy, and Mobility

At the ‘Korea-Netherlands CEO Roundtable’ held on the occasion of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s state visit to the Netherlands, business leaders discussed cooperation plans in advanced industries such as semiconductors, renewable energy, and mobility.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Korea International Trade Association (KITA) announced on the 13th (local time) that it held the ‘Korea-Netherlands CEO Roundtable’ in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Attendees included Koo Ja-yeol, Chairman of KITA; Ahn Duk-geun, Director General for Trade Negotiations at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy; Kyung Kye-hyun, President of Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions Division; Kwak No-jung, CEO of SK Hynix; Kim Dong-wook, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Company; and Hwang Cheol-joo, Chairman of Jusung Engineering. From the Netherlands, 10 people attended, including Ingrid Thijssen, Chairwoman of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers (VNO-NCW); Micky Adriaansens, Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy; Peter Wennink, CEO of ASML; Martijn Driessen, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of NXP; and Maartje de Kruin, Director of TNO.

In his opening remarks, Chairman Koo said, "Both countries are leading future industries such as semiconductors and mobility beyond simple manufacturing,” adding, “If companies from both countries come together to discuss cooperation through innovation and build close partnerships, they can lead the global advanced industries and contribute to the common human goal of ‘sustainable growth for a better future.’”

Participants discussed cooperation plans between companies of the two countries in advanced industries such as semiconductors, renewable energy, and mobility. Kyung Kye-hyun, President of Samsung Electronics’ Device Solutions Division, said, “Samsung aims to improve the productivity of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) equipment through cooperation with ASML and establish a joint research institute in Korea to enhance technological competitiveness,” adding, “Strengthening cooperation between companies of both countries will greatly contribute to reinforcing Europe’s semiconductor value chain and stabilizing the global supply chain.” Kwak No-jung, CEO of SK Hynix, stated, “Through the MOU with ASML, we have agreed to jointly develop hydrogen gas recycling technology,” and “This will be the first exemplary case of the semiconductor industry contributing to greenhouse gas reduction.”

Kim Dong-wook, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Company, mentioned, “Since Hyundai Motor Group is developing not only electric vehicles but also hydrogen commercial vehicles, urban air mobility (UAM), and delivery-specialized robots, we look forward to expanding various cooperation with Dutch companies.” Kim Yong-seok, CEO of Lotte Fine Chemical, expressed hope for “expanding cooperation with Dutch companies in the clean energy sector.”

Peter Wennink, CEO of ASML, emphasized that international cooperation is one of the key strengths of the global semiconductor industry and said, “ASML will continue to strengthen cooperation with Korean partners such as Samsung and SK Hynix.” Martijn Driessen, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of NXP, also noted, “One of the major challenges in the semiconductor industry is securing excellent talent,” and added, “We are very interested in the Korean government’s long-term plans for nurturing outstanding semiconductor talent.”

KITA plans to cooperate with the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers to ensure that this event leads to continuous opportunities for cooperation between companies of both countries. They announced plans to continuously provide and expand opportunities for business cooperation between the two sides by holding thematic seminars and forums on semiconductors, renewable energy, mobility, and sustainability, as well as dispatching business delegations.