S. Korea, U.S., Japan urged to form 'hyper-connected' industrial alliance

May 7 (Asia Today) -- South Korea, the United States and Japan should establish a "hyper-connected industrial alliance" to lead future industries such as artificial intelligence and energy amid mounting global supply chain disruptions and prolonged instability in the Middle East, experts said Thursday.

Participants at the sixth Korea-U.S. Industrial Cooperation Conference in Seoul emphasized the need for practical strategies to strengthen industrial resilience, including the joint development of high-efficiency AI semiconductors for data centers and fast-track approval systems for small modular reactors, or SMRs.

The conference, hosted by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Korea-U.S. Association, focused on future cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan in key sectors including AI, semiconductors and energy.

Experts said competition in the global AI ecosystem is shifting beyond raw computing power toward energy efficiency and cost effectiveness.

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Kwon Seok-joon, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University, called for the three countries to establish a joint research and development platform for energy-efficient AI computing infrastructure.

He also proposed creating a shared research center similar to Imec, an R&D hub focused on nanoelectronics and digital technologies, to jointly develop data center systems and memory semiconductors.

Industry officials also discussed ways to share infrastructure to help expand startup ecosystems.

Lee Se-young, chief executive of Wrtn Technologies, proposed creating a trilateral AI infrastructure hub for startups, while Ahn Hong-joon suggested building a "physical AI" testbed combining South Korea's manufacturing data, U.S. AI models and Japanese control technologies.

Speakers also stressed the need for private-sector-led regulatory interoperability to prevent fragmented regulations from slowing industrial growth.

Energy security emerged as another key issue as the AI industry's soaring electricity demand heightens concerns over global energy supply instability.

Jane Nakano of the Center for Strategic and International Studies said South Korea and Japan should jointly invest in U.S. liquefied natural gas export terminals and related infrastructure to improve supply stability.

Cho Hong-jong of Dankook University proposed a fast-track approval framework for SMRs to reduce overlapping certification reviews among countries.

He said trilateral cooperation could combine U.S. core technologies, Japanese precision components and financing, and South Korea's construction capabilities to expand jointly into the global SMR market.

Business leaders also voiced support for stronger private-sector cooperation among the three countries.

Lee Hyung-hee, vice chairman of the SK Group and the Seoul chamber, said South Korea and Japan have growing incentives to cooperate amid shifts in the global trade order.

"Such cooperation can achieve greater stability and sustainability when carried out within the trilateral alliance among South Korea, the United States and Japan," he said.

Choi Joong-kyung said industrial cooperation among the three countries could become "the strongest industrial alliance in human history," calling for balanced and sophisticated supply chain coordination based on mutual interests.

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry said it plans to continue working-level discussions with Japanese business groups to further institutionalize trilateral industrial cooperation.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260507010001364