Speakers
Keynote Speaker
President Oh served as First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) from 2022 to 2023, having worked for over 30 years at the ministry since 1992.
From 2006 to 2008, he worked for OECD Secretariat in Paris as S&T policy expert. He participated in several projects, including Korea’s innovation policy review.
From 2017 to 2020, he also served as Consul General at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in New Delhi, India.
In 2024, he became a professor at Sogang University’s Graduate School of MOT, teaching STI policy and economic security.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Seoul National University and a master’s degree in technology and innovation management from the University of Sussex, UK.
Plenary Speakers
Session 1 : Evolution and Future Vision of STI Policy
Dr. Ji Woong Yoon is the President of the Science and Technology Policy Institute (STEPI) in the Republic of Korea. Dr. Yoon extensively conducted research on technology innovation management, S&T policy, and R&D strategy.
He has been involved in shaping national science and innovation policies through various government committees, such as Expert Committee member of the Presidential Advisory Council of Science & Technology (PACST), and he was the President of the Korean Association for Policy Studies. He is a member of National Academic Engineering Korea (NAEK).
Mario Cervantes has more than two decades of experience in the area of STI policy and has drafted numerous reports and studies on topics such as IPRs and innovation, open innovation, demand-side innovation policies, smart specialization, commercialisaton of public research, international mobility of talent, and innovation and development.
He has also advised national governments on research and innovation policies. Prior to joining the OECD, Mr. Cervantes worked as an economist at Columbia University’s Centre for Tele-Information (C.I.T.I) carrying out contract research for the US Congress Office of Technology Assessment (OTA).
President Oh served as First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) from 2022 to 2023, having worked for over 30 years at the ministry since 1992.
From 2006 to 2008, he worked for OECD Secretariat in Paris as S&T policy expert. He participated in several projects, including Korea’s innovation policy review.
From 2017 to 2020, he also served as Consul General at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in New Delhi, India.
In 2024, he became a professor at Sogang University’s Graduate School of MOT, teaching STI policy and economic security.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Seoul National University and a master’s degree in technology and innovation management from the University of Sussex, UK.
Plenary Speakers
Session 2 : Global technology commercialization
With a Ph.D. in Finance from the University of Central Florida, Professor Seung Hun Han brings over two decades of academic and professional experience, including roles as KAIST’s ICT Chair Professor, Dean of KAIST’s Graduate School of Global Digital Innovation, and prior appointments at Information and Communications University. His academic journey spans globally, with degrees from the University of South Carolina and Waseda University in Tokyo.
His research focuses on corporate governance, bond ratings, mergers and acquisitions, ESG and firm value, and corporate and technology valuation. His work has been published in leading journals such as the Journal of Banking & Finance, Financial Management, Journal of Business Ethics, and Corporate Governance: An International Review. His research contributes to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in areas related to responsible governance, sustainable finance, and corporate responsibility.
Dr. Kijung Kwon participated in the development of aircrafts at the Korea Aerospace Research Institute before founding Narma Inc., a startup specializing in advanced VTOL drone technology.
He is currently spearheading the commercialization of next-generation UAV platforms for emergency delivery, surveillance, and defense applications.
Fabrice Lefebvre was appointed President of SATT Nord in June 2018. He is also member of the executive board of the SATT Network since June 2024, serving as Vice President in charge of european and international relations, and member of board of ASTP (Association of European Science and Technology Transfer Professionals), serving as Vice President in charge of Metrics and Impact.
Fabrice is an ECPM chemical engineer, a doctor in chemical sciences from the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and holds a special degree in management from the Solvay Business School. From 1996 to 2001, he held the position of R&D engineer and then Deputy Director of CREED, a research center of the VEOLIA Group, in charge of managing R&D projects for several subsidiaries.
In 2001, he took over the General Management of several profit centers of the SARP group, including Ecopur, created on the basis of patented technologies within CREED, and for which he ensured the development, economic profitability, and establishment of several sites in France and abroad until 2015.
In parallel, in 2008, he took over the Technical and Innovation Department of the SARP group, both to create a dynamic of promotion of internal innovations, but also to establish external partnerships with public research centers or start-ups, in order to ensure the development of more efficient and ergonomic tools and work equipment, but also new services for Communities and Industry, by bringing in connected objects and robotics. In 2015 he left Sarp to become Deputy Managing Director and took over the Operations/Projects Department of a start-up turned SME, Orège, specialized in the development of breakthrough technologies for sludge conditioning and complex effluent treatment.
He actively contributed to the development and implementation internationally (Europe, United Kingdom, USA/Canada), of new innovative and patented solutions, until his appointment as President of SATT Nord in 2018.
Dr. Yong-Kyu Yoon is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida, where he leads the Multidisciplinary nano and Microsystems (MnM) Laboratory. His research spans advanced packaging, meta-interconnects, antennas in packaging, metamaterials, nanotechnology, and their applications in 5G/6G communications and biomedical systems. Since joining the University of Florida in 2010—first as Associate Professor and later as full Professor—Dr. Yoon has focused on developing micro/nanoscale systems that bridge disciplines such as RF engineering, photonics, bio-MEMS, and nanomaterials.
Prior to his appointment at Florida, he served as an Assistant Professor at the University at Buffalo. He earned his Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2004. Through his interdisciplinary work, Dr. Yoon contributes significantly to innovations in both engineering and life sciences.
Dr. Pauline Erica Tay is a senior innovation leader in Singapore’s science and healthcare ecosystem, currently serving as Director of the National Health Innovation Centre (NHIC). In this national-level role, she reports to both the Ministry of Health and the National Research Foundation, working closely with public healthcare institutions to translate healthcare innovation into economic and clinical impact. With a strong network spanning government, venture capital, corporates, and international partners, she plays a pivotal role in scaling deep tech and healthcare technologies across sectors.
Dr. Tay previously held influential roles across Singapore’s innovation landscape, including as Senior Deputy Director at the National Research Foundation, where she was instrumental in developing the country’s deep tech startup ecosystem. Her leadership saw the launch of major national programs such as SWITCH, SGInnovate, Xora, and DxD Hub. With earlier experiences in biomedical research at A*STAR, IP strategy at IPI Singapore, and business development at PSB, she brings a unique combination of scientific, strategic, and commercial expertise. Dr. Tay holds a Ph.D. in Stem Cell Biology from the National University of Singapore/A*STAR and completed advanced research training at Osaka University School of Medicine.