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| World IT Show | |
|---|---|
| Name | World IT Show |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Information technology |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Venue | COEX |
| Location | Seoul |
| Country | South Korea |
| First | 2008 |
| Organizer | Korea IT Industry Promotion Agency |
World IT Show
The World IT Show is an annual international trade fair and technology exhibition held in Seoul, South Korea, showcasing advances in information technology and digital innovation. The event brings together multinational corporations, government agencies, startups, research institutes and industry associations to present products, demonstrate platforms, and discuss policy and market strategies. It functions as a nexus for networking among representatives from United States, China, Japan, European Union, India, Singapore, Germany, France, United Kingdom, and other technology hubs.
The exhibition emphasizes smart technologies, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, telecommunications, semiconductors, and consumer electronics, featuring participants such as Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, SK Telecom, KT Corporation, Naver Corporation, Hyundai Motor Company, Kakao Corporation, Intel, Microsoft, Apple Inc., Google, Amazon (company), IBM, Cisco Systems, Huawei, ZTE, Alibaba Group, Tencent and numerous startups incubated by institutions like KAIST, POSTECH, Seoul National University, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Yonsei University and Korea University. The event is organized by the Korea IT Industry Promotion Agency in cooperation with municipal bodies such as the Seoul Metropolitan Government and national ministries including the Ministry of Science and ICT (South Korea). Attendees include delegations from bodies like the European Commission, World Bank, International Telecommunication Union, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, and corporate consortia such as the Open Networking Foundation.
First launched in 2008, the exposition evolved from earlier Korean trade events and policy initiatives associated with the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency and national ICT agendas promoted during administrations of presidents such as Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye. Over time it expanded to include themed pavilions reflecting global trends—mobile convergence showcased alongside initiatives linked to 5G NR, Internet of Things, and smart city pilots tied to municipal projects in Busan, Incheon, and Daegu. The forum attracted keynote speakers from multinational firms and research organizations including Eric Schmidt, Satya Nadella, Ginni Rometty, Sundar Pichai, Jensen Huang, and academics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, Tsinghua University, Peking University, and Imperial College London. The timeline includes collaborations with trade shows such as Mobile World Congress and CES for cross-promotional partnerships.
Primary exhibitions have been hosted at the COEX convention center in Gangnam District, a venue also used by events like Seoul Motor Show and Korea Electronics Show. Organizers coordinate with exhibition management firms, trade associations like the Korea Federation of SMEs, and international partners including UFI (Global Association of the Exhibition Industry) and Reed Exhibitions. Logistics involve national research agencies such as Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute and funding streams from institutions like Korea Development Bank and programmatic support via the Small and Medium Business Administration (South Korea). Security and telecommunications infrastructure draw on carriers such as SK Telecom and equipment from Samsung Electronics while display fabrication often involves service providers referenced in trade networks like Kotra.
Exhibits range from semiconductor process demonstrations by TSMC partners to cloud platform showcases by Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Telecommunications demonstrations highlight standards such as 3GPP releases and manufacturers including Ericsson and Nokia. Startups from accelerators such as SparkLabs, D.CAMP, Seoul Business Agency and university incubators present alongside venture capital firms including SoftBank Vision Fund, Sequoia Capital, Kleiner Perkins, and Accel Partners. Global OEMs, component suppliers like SK Hynix, Micron Technology, and software vendors such as Oracle Corporation, SAP, and Adobe Inc. routinely maintain booths. National pavilions have represented delegations from United States Department of Commerce, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Japan External Trade Organization, Enterprise Ireland, and Business France.
Parallel conference tracks cover topics including AI ethics and regulation debated with participants from European Commission delegations, standardization panels from Internet Engineering Task Force, cybersecurity workshops led by representatives of National Police Agency (South Korea), and investment forums connecting sovereign funds like Korea Investment Corporation with corporate venture arms from Samsung Venture Investment Corporation. Educational programs involve collaboration with universities such as Korea University Business School and research labs at POSTECH. Hackathons and demo days attract developer communities associated with GitHub, Stack Overflow, and open-source foundations like the Linux Foundation.
The show influences procurement decisions by public institutions, procurement partnerships with municipalities such as Seoul Metropolitan Government smart city deployments, and commercial contracts linking suppliers and manufacturers across supply chains involving Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor Company. It functions as a platform for diplomatic technology exchanges among delegations from United States, China, Japan, European Union member states, and emerging markets including Vietnam and Indonesia. Academic collaborations often spawn joint projects between institutions like KAIST and multinational research labs at Google Research and Microsoft Research.
The event confers awards and recognitions to exhibitors and startups, often adjudicated by panels including representatives from accelerator programs K-Startup Grand Challenge, venture capital firms such as SoftBank, and corporate R&D heads from Samsung Research and LG Sciencepark. Past accoladed technologies have included innovations in 5G applications with involvement from SK Telecom and device prototypes by Samsung Electronics that later featured in industry awards such as Red Dot Design Award and CES Innovation Awards.
Category:Technology trade fairs