Korea wins bid to host world’s largest robotics conference in Seoul in 2027

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South Korea will host the International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA), the world‘s most prestigious academic event in the field of robotics, in 2027.

According to multiple sources from the robotics industry and academia on Sunday, Seoul was chosen to host the conference in 2027 at the ICRA 2023 held in London, U.K. on Friday (local time).

It is the first time that Korea is hosting the ICRA, which is organized by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest technical professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for humanity.

Seoul competed with Bangkok, Thailand in its bid for the event. “We will make the upcoming event a platform for a broader community of researchers, users, educators, and government officials to create a better robotics innovation ecosystem,” said Cho Kyu-jin, a professor at Seoul National University, who serves as chairman of the ICRA 2027 Promotion Committee.

“More than anything, the Seoul Metropolitan Government is greatly interested in creating a robotics ecosystem and this is why the city government has been active in bidding for the upcoming ICRA,” he said.

The ICRA brings together robotics scientists and innovative companies from around the world to present relevant papers and engage in networking by discussing the latest innovations and breakthroughs. In general, key experts in the field of robotics and automation from 90 countries participate in 60 workshops and more than 1,500 papers are presented during the event.

At the ICRA 2023, which was held in London from May 29 to June 2 under the theme of “Embracing the Future: Making Robots for Humans,” more than 7,000 robotics scientists and industry officials from around the world attended and shared the latest technological trends.

In particular, it is known that various new robotic technologies were unveiled in line with the ongoing progress in artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

The robotics industry is a convergence industry that supports downstream industries, which provide products to end-user customers, and is expected to create synergies with industries such as automobiles, information technology (IT), and healthcare.

Korea, which has a solid manufacturing base, is assessed to create various opportunities in the robotics industry.

The key is to nurture innovative startups and create a robotics ecosystem led by local conglomerates such as Samsung Group and Hyundai Motor Group, which are actively investing in the global robotics market.

Korea’s successful bid to host the ICRA 2027 is expected to pave the way for the world’s top technologies to flow into the local industry as well as to contribute to creating a robotics ecosystem in the country that facilitates industry-academic research cooperation.