Opening Address at 'Tokyo Forum' Held at University of Tokyo, Japan
"We Will Listen to the Ideas of the Younger Generation"
Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, is delivering the opening address at the 'Tokyo Forum 2024' held at the University of Tokyo in Japan on the 22nd. Photo by SK Group
Choi Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, proposed addressing the advent of the AI (Artificial Intelligence) era and the deepening global uncertainties such as carbon emission reduction through 'Design Thinking.'
At the opening speech of the 'Tokyo Forum 2024' held at the University of Tokyo in Japan on the 22nd, Chairman Choi stated, "Most people think design is different from business, but fundamentally, both share the characteristic of creating new businesses with given resources."
The Tokyo Forum has been jointly hosted annually since 2019 by the Choi Jong-hyun Academic Foundation and the University of Tokyo. This year, it was held over two days on the 22nd and 23rd under the theme "Shape the Future, Design for Tomorrow." The Choi Jong-hyun Academic Foundation was launched in 2018 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the late Choi Jong-hyun, the former chairman of SK, and serves as a global knowledge exchange platform analyzing geopolitical risks and challenges and opportunities brought by scientific and technological innovation, seeking response strategies.
Chairman Choi first emphasized the importance of design thinking in business by saying, "CEOs must become designers who optimally allocate limited resources to meet customer demands and create value." He explained that modern society is undergoing rapid changes, and business leaders must design their businesses while adapting to these changes.
He also introduced how SK Group has utilized design thinking in shaping its history and overall business portfolio. Chairman Choi said, "SK Group has a history of over 70 years, expanding its business from textiles to petroleum and telecommunications, and innovating its portfolio with semiconductors and AI. This design thinking has been the foundation for allocating limited resources and embracing new challenges."
He continued, "We have always faced significant challenges in adding and embracing new business areas, but we have successfully managed businesses and created synergies. Design thinking is necessary even in complex businesses that integrate all business areas to create synergy, such as AI businesses."
From a societal perspective, Chairman Choi stated that encouraging people to participate in solving social issues like carbon emission reduction and social inequality requires more than goodwill; it requires design thinking that provides incentives. He stressed, "A newer and more creative approach is needed to build a sustainable future."
Finally, Chairman Choi said, "This forum will also feature a Youth session where university students from Korea and Japan will share new ideas, and expectations are high. We will always listen to the ideas of the younger generation who face new challenges and overcome the impossible."
On the same day, Chairman Choi also participated as a panelist in the 'Business Leader Session,' proposing the establishment of various incentive systems that can normalize companies pursuing not only economic value creation but also social value to solve social problems simultaneously.
At Tokyo Forum 2024, experts from academia and the economy, including Chairman Choi, Kim Yoo-seok, CEO of the Choi Jong-hyun Academic Foundation and Korea Higher Education Foundation, Fujii Teruo, President of the University of Tokyo, Sato Yasuhiro, Special Advisor of Mizuho Financial Group, and Daniel Novak, Director of the World Economic Forum, participated as speakers and panelists to diagnose various social issues and seek sustainable solutions.
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