Seeking Solutions for "Digital Sovereignty" in the Quantum-AI Era at the National Assembly

- KRISS holds the "2026 National Assembly Forum on Quantum National Strategic Technology" at the National Assembly Museum on Wednesday, September 9 -

- Some 200 participants, including from the U.S. Department of State and Duke University, explore national technology strategy for Quantum and AI -

▲ Poster for the "2026 National Assembly Forum on Quantum National Strategic Technology"

A forum to explore ways to secure digital sovereignty and shape national technology strategy in response to the changing paradigm of convergence between quantum technology and artificial intelligence (AI) was held at the National Assembly.

On Wednesday, September 9, the Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science (KRISS, President Dr. Lee Ho Seong) held the "2026 National Assembly Forum on Quantum National Strategic Technology" at the National Assembly Museum in Seoul, under the theme "Digital Sovereignty and National Technology Strategy in the Era of Quantum-AI Convergence."

▲ KRISS President Dr. Lee Ho Seong delivering the opening address

Co-hosted by National Assembly members Song Ki-hun, Han Jun-ho, Choi Hyung-du, Kim Hyun, and Hwang Jung-ah, and sponsored by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST), the forum drew some 200 participants from industry, academia, research, and government at home and abroad, who discussed national technology strategy in the era of quantum-AI convergence from various angles.

The keynote lectures were delivered by leading experts from Korea and abroad, who presented global trends and strategies. Eugene Bae, Director of Technology Partnerships at the United States Department of State, presented "The U.S. Roadmap to Quantum Innovation," followed by Distinguished Professor Kim Jungsang of Electrical & Computer Engineering at Duke University with "Quantum Technology at the Innovation Frontier," and Dr. Choi Jae Hyuk, Director of the Quantum Technology Institute at KRISS, with a presentation titled "Understanding Quantum Science and Technology: A Strategic Asset in the Era of Digital Sovereignty."

▲ A view of the forum

The subsequent panel discussion was moderated by Professor Kim Taehyun of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Seoul National University. The panel included the keynote speakers Director Eugene Bae and Distinguished Professor Kim Jungsang, as well as Professor Lee Soon Chil, Program Director for the quantum track in the K-Moonshot Project; Lee Sik, President of the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI); and Dr. Lee Ho Seong, President of KRISS.

Meanwhile, having successfully held a National Assembly forum last year to mark its 50th anniversary, KRISS plans to continue providing a venue for discussion among industry, academia, research, and government to strengthen the competitiveness and leadership of quantum technology going forward.

▲ Commemorative photo from the forum

KRISS President Dr. Lee Ho Seong said, "As the convergence of quantum and AI accelerates, establishing a proactive national technology strategy is becoming ever more important." He added, "I hope this forum will serve as an opportunity to bring together the wisdom of experts from Korea and abroad to strengthen Korea's competitiveness in quantum science and technology and to jointly explore strategic directions for securing digital sovereignty."