TiHive wins the startup pitch contest, with FUST Lab and Voltify taking second and third places
Artificial intelligence and industrial sustainability dominated talks among South Korean and French business and policy leaders in Seoul last week, with participants stressing the need to move both from experimentation into commercial use.
The France-Korea Tech Summit 2026 was held on Friday as part of the Korea Electronics Show. Discussions centered on practical applications that can improve productivity, resource efficiency and business returns while linking the AI and green transitions more closely.
“I'd like to underline the fact that it is very relevant in my opinion to link both the AI revolution and the environmental one,” said Arthur Barichard, director of the French government’s Digital and AI Council.
The forum reflected a broader challenge facing companies trying to turn emerging technologies into tools that can be deployed at scale.
In AI, that means finding applications that improve decision-making, productivity or returns while developing the skills needed to use them.
The green transition poses a parallel test as companies seek technologies that can reduce resource use and improve industrial efficiency without sacrificing competitiveness.
Representatives from the French government’s Digital and AI Council, KT SAT, Seoul AI Hub, Veolia Korea, GenesInk and Korea Electric Power Corp. discussed applications ranging from corporate decision-making and advanced materials to energy systems and industrial inspection.
FROM TALK TO COMMERCIAL USE
Alongside the summit, eight French and Korean companies competed in a startup pitch contest.
French deep-tech company TiHive took the top prize for a terahertz-based nondestructive inspection system.
South Korea’s FUST Lab placed second with technology focused on clean energy and sustainability, while Voltify took third with technology in energy and semiconductors.
French companies including GenesInk, ID4US, Thélyos, TiHive and Voltify also demonstrated technologies and met with Korean companies during the Korea Electronics Show.
The summit, the second edition of its kind, was held to mark the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between South Korea and France and the 40th anniversary of the French-Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FKCCI).
It was organized by FKCCI in partnership with the Korea Electronics Association.
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