HIGH AMBITIONS IN SEOUL

by Fruzsina Franciska Halász

TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION IS THE DRIVER OF SOUTH KOREA’S ECONOMIC GROWTH AND NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS. IN AN ERA OF GLOBAL TECHNOLOGICAL COMPETITION, WHERE THE TECHNOLOGIES OF THE FUTURE DETERMINE THE FATE OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY, SECURITY AND DIPLOMACY, SOUTH KOREA’S GOAL IS TO BECOME ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED NATIONS, AND TO LEAD IN KEY NEW TECHNOLOGY SECTORS.

Experts say quantum technologies represent the next wave of digital transformation. Within ten years, quantum computing, quantum communications and quantum sensing could fundamentally change our daily lives, our societies and the global economy. These technologies promise exponentially faster problem-solving than the world’s currently most advanced non-quantum supercomputers, interception-proof communication systems or sophisticated sensor technologies.

In order to ensure South Korea’s global technological leadership, President Yoon Suk-yeol announced the National Strategic Technology Nurture Plan on 28 October 2022, which sets out a national policy to support strategic technologies that contribute to social welfare and national secu- rity as part of the country’s long-term growth agenda. The support plan identifies quantum technology as a priority national strategic technology. South Korea has the explicit goal of becoming an industry leader in quantum technology — quantum computing in particular. The government aims to develop a quantum computer by 2026 and other quantum products (such as quantum sensors capable of detecting faulty semiconductors) by 2027. With these steps, South Korea aims to further strengthen its position in the geo-technological race of the 21st century.

The author is a Junior International Expert at Magyar Nemzeti Bank (the central bank of Hungary)

The Man From The Future

Indian science writer Ananyo Bhattacharya's book The Man from the Future: the Visionary Life of John von Neumann was launched at the university named after the legendary Hungarian-born scientist. The book is an electrifying biography of one of the most extraordinary scientists of the twentieth century and the world he made. According to the books’s profile, ”taking us on an astonishing journey, Ananyo Bhattacharya explores how a combination of genius and unique historical circumstance allowed a single man to sweep through a stunningly diverse array of fields, sparking revolutions wherever he went. The Man from the Future is an insightful and thrilling intellectual biography of the visionary thinker who shaped our century”.

"I don't know of any other scientist who has been as influential as him," Ananyo Bhattacharya told Hungarian weekly Mandiner. "With great exaggeration, of course, but the one idea people can associate with Einstein is the theory of relativity. The 'problem' with János Neumann is that he had too many epoch-making ideas, making him harder to absorb. But it is already enough to mention that he created the simulation of the world's first computer," he explained.

Celebrating Excellence

The Neumann Excellence Awards were presented for the second time at the John von Neumann University in Kecskemét. In 2022, the prestigious award was established by the John von Neumann University Foundation with the intention of giving the institution's colleagues the opportunity to celebrate together and show the world the outstanding achievements of their everyday work.