Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister JK Kim) held the 21st Korea–France Industrial Cooperation Committee meeting and the 9th Korea–France New Industries Technology Cooperation Forum in Seoul on November 4, 2026. MOTIR organized the events as a follow-up to President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to France in September to substantially strengthen bilateral cooperation in emerging industries.

1. 21st Korea–France Industrial Cooperation Committee Meeting

Kim Young-man, Director General for Trade Policy at MOTIR, and Thomas Courbe, Director General for Enterprises at France’s Ministry for the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty, led their respective delegations at the 21st Korea–France Industrial Cooperation Committee meeting. The two sides exchanged views on the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act (IAA), including issues concerning the automotive industry. They also shared updates on advanced industries, including automobiles, shipbuilding and biotechnology, and on policies on critical mineral supply chains.

Korea requested France’s active cooperation in ensuring that Korea is included among the EU’s trusted partner countries under the proposed IAA. The proposal would require production within the EU as a condition for access to public procurement and subsidies. Korea also conveyed its concerns about the Joint Franco-German Press Statement on the Future of the European Automotive Industry, issued on October 16, 2026. It asked France to give the issue particular attention and help ensure that Korean-made vehicles face no discrimination in future discussions.

The two sides then agreed to run a Korea–France working group on the automotive industry. This agreement follows up on the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on industrial cooperation signed by their ministries during President Lee’s visit to France in September 2026. In addition to France’s electric vehicle subsidy scheme, the group would discuss measures for industrial cooperation, including in automotive supply chains. The two sides then outlined their governments’ main policy directions for advanced industries, including automobiles, shipbuilding and biotechnology. They also discussed how to pursue bilateral cooperation in the future in light of recent changes in global trade.

2. 9th Korea–France New Industries Technology Cooperation Forum 

Approximately 200 participants attended the forum, including representatives of organizations conducting joint research and development (R&D) projects between Korea and France, as well as industry, academic and research representatives interested in technology cooperation. Launched in 2014 and now in its ninth edition, the forum brings participants together to share achievements in bilateral technology cooperation and identify new joint R&D projects and partners.

This year’s forum was held under the themes of Manufacturing AI Transformation (M.AX) and “deep tech.” Companies from both countries, including Hankook & Company, Naver Cloud, Mistral AI and Thales Korea, presented technology trends as well as examples of applications in industry, and explored ways to cooperate.

Participants then introduced programs supporting joint R&D between Korea and France and highlighted successful examples of cooperation. Between 2014 and 2025, the two countries jointly provided KRW 53.1 billion for 24 projects, generating commercialization revenue and patent outcomes. One featured example was technology to verify AI stability being jointly developed by ThinkforBL, a Korean company that assesses AI trustworthiness, and Numalis, a French AI validation company. The technology is expected to be used in aerospace and rail, where high reliability is required. In the afternoon, companies from both countries presented ideas for technology cooperation. Korea’s eMoldino introduced technology that uses the Internet of Things (IoT) to analyze mold and production data, while France’s Aptero presented an AI-based platform for immersive 3D education and training. Companies matched in advance based on their applications then discussed potential joint R&D in one-to-one technology consultations.

“Today’s events helped turn the Korea–France summit agreement, reached in the year marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries, into practical cooperation among businesses and research institutions,” said Director General Kim. “We will continue to expand bilateral cooperation through government channels, including working groups for advanced industries and the Industrial Cooperation Committee. By combining Korea’s manufacturing data resources with France’s deep tech capabilities in areas such as AI and quantum technology, we will actively support both joint R&D and the expansion of markets for the resulting technologies.”