Business leaders from both countries meet at Korea-France roundtable
Talks cover cooperation in AI, quantum computing, energy and biotech
Samsung Electronics will take an equity stake in French artificial intelligence firm Mistral AI and pursue joint entry into global markets with the company, as President Lee Jae Myung continues his state visit to France.
Cheong Wa Dae Senior Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced the plan in a written briefing following a Korea-France business roundtable held in Paris on Tuesday (local time).
The event, held with President Lee and French President Emmanuel Macron in attendance, drew about 30 senior government officials and business leaders from both countries.
Korean attendees included Korea Enterprises Federation Chairman Ryu Jin, Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, LS Group Chairman Koo Ja-eun, Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon, LG Electronics President Ryu Jae-cheol, Hyundai Motor Company President Sung Kim, Hanwha TotalEnergies CEO Na Sang-seob, Naver CEO Choi Su-yeon and Celltrion CEO Seo Jin-seok, among other business figures.
After hearing from business leaders on both sides, President Lee said, "The areas in which South Korea and France can cooperate are extremely broad and diverse. If the two countries jointly pursue research and development and large-scale investment in new fields, we can shorten development timelines and increase investment efficiency."
"Beyond advanced industries, culture and the arts also hold great potential to grow into new industries," he added. "If the two countries combine their respective strengths, we can create new markets and opportunities together."
The strategic investment partnership between Samsung Electronics and Mistral AI drew the most attention at the event.
Mistral AI has secured 3 billion euros ($3.49 billion) in an investment round co-led by Samsung Electronics and others. Naver and Mistral AI also discussed joint entry into global markets built on a partnership aimed at the "sovereign AI" segment.
In the quantum sector, participants agreed on the potential for a cooperation model combining the core technology of French quantum computing hardware firm Quandela with Korean manufacturing capabilities.
In energy, as France pushes to modernize its power grid, discussions focused on strengthening supply chain cooperation between the two countries, led by LS and Hyosung, both of which have strengths in advanced power equipment.
In mobility, Hyundai Motor and LG Electronics expressed ambitions to deepen cooperation with French companies. In beauty, participants proposed combining L'Oreal's brand strength with Cosmax's development capabilities.
In biotech, Celltrion's acquisition of French healthcare business Zifre was cited as an example of the two countries combining their respective strengths.
sang@heraldcorp.com
