'North America Business Trip' Kim Dong-yeon "Actively Promoting Gyeonggi-do Hosting of 4th Industrial Revolution Center"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon is talking with officials at the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) in San Francisco, USA, on the 8th (local time).

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon, who is visiting the North American region to strengthen international exchange cooperation and attract overseas investment, visited Viz.ai, one of the unicorn companies in Silicon Valley, along with representatives of startups from the province to share success experiences and discuss cooperation plans.

The meeting included five AI-related companies from the province: Creple Co., Ltd., Able J Co., Ltd., NHN CLOUD, Saeron Solution Co., Ltd., and AI for Blockchain Co., Ltd.

Gyeonggi Province explained that the visit was organized to provide startups in the province with opportunities to find new perspectives and possibilities through sharing successful overseas cases.

On the 8th (local time), Governor Kim visited Viz.ai, a unicorn company located in Silicon Valley, and met with Chris Mansi, the founder and CEO, to exchange opinions.

The medical imaging diagnostic system developed by Viz.ai is a medical and patient care platform utilizing artificial intelligence (AI), where AI assists in medical image analysis and diagnosis.

Within seconds of a brain CT scan, it detects whether a stroke has occurred, identifies suspected patients, and immediately notifies specialists via mobile phone, helping to enable rapid response and treatment for high-risk patients. It gained attention as an AI approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2018 and is currently used in more than 1,400 hospitals across the United States and Europe.

With a corporate value of $1.2 billion (approximately 1.6515 trillion KRW), it is a representative unicorn company in the U.S. healthcare sector. A unicorn company refers to an unlisted startup company valued at over $1 billion (1 trillion KRW) and established within the last 10 years.

Governor Kim said on the day, "There are two purposes for today's visit: one is to share good experiences by conversing with Viz.ai, a unicorn company, along with the startup representatives who came together," encouraging open dialogue. In response, the startup representatives from Gyeonggi Province actively asked questions, continuing a lively discussion for about an hour.

Before visiting Viz.ai, Governor Kim visited the San Francisco headquarters of the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) and held discussions with Natalia Guseva, Head of Financial Markets Initiative, and Yoon Se-moon, Head of Network and Partner Innovation. Sebastian Buckup, Global Director of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and Kim Hyun-dae, Director of Future Growth Industry Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, also participated via video conference.

The Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution (C4IR) is a public-private cooperation hub established and operated by the World Economic Forum (WEF) in consultation with countries or regions to foster global cooperation and joint responses to various issues during the rapid changes in science and technology represented by AI technology.

Since its first establishment in San Francisco, USA, in 2017, 15 centers worldwide are currently operating in locations including Michigan and Texas in the USA, Japan, India, UAE, and Israel. This year, three additional centers will open in Germany, Vietnam, and Qatar.

Gyeonggi Province is currently in discussions with the WEF regarding the establishment of a Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Efforts are ongoing to derive the best plan through close discussions with the Gyeonggi Provincial Council.

Sebastian Buckup, Global Director of the WEF Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, responded, "Although the exact nature of the center being discussed for establishment in Gyeonggi Province has not been fully finalized, we are negotiating to focus on supporting startups," adding, "Since there has been no center explicitly focused on startups until now, it is very meaningful and expected to play a special role."

Governor Kim replied, "I am pleased that it will be the first center focusing on startups," and requested, "If there are good cases or suggestions from other centers, please continue to contact us."