Last fall, an advertisement drew my attention. It was an automobile company’s advertisement. In the advertisement, a question, “What is Yunghap?” was presented and answers, “Is it convergence?” or” Is it fusion?” followed. The right answer presented was “Electrical & Electronics + Chemistry + IT + New Materials = Automobile.” I thought the advertisement was very refreshing because it delivered a novel message that the automobile industry is the one that can show convergence most clearly and easily.
 

It is refreshing that the message of convergence became important in the automobile advertisement. However, when you think about the fact that the biggest issue in the global automobile market in recent years is the development of driverless automobile, it is not that strange. A prototype that transports itself to the destination without a driver by finding geographical features has been developed already. It involves a wide range of technologies from relatively simple technologies to very complicated technology of running on the very busy streets and recognizing traffic signals. Not only automobile companies but also Google, world’s largest IT company, has joined the competition to develop driverless automobile with cutting edge technologies and Google has developed the Google driverless car.

Such fierce competition among companies has blurred the boundaries between industries. We are living in an era in which developing and realizing more remarkable technology through technology innovation than competitors’ is important. Schumpeter, an Austrian American economist, who introduced the concept of innovation, said technology innovation involves not only technology development but also all the processes in which profit is generated through it. Through technology innovation, new markets are generated by making more useful quality changes, and furthermore drastic changes are underway in industrial areas through technology convergence and fusion.   

Since the industrial revolution that started in England in late 18^th century, the world has continuously changed from agricultural society to industrial society and then to knowledge and information society. Like this, we are living in a new era. In the rapidly changing environment, new changes, such as capitalist society, urbanization, climate change, and increase of trade due to globalization, have been brought through mass production and consumption. With such mega trend in the 21^st century, international movement of cargos has been very active, which accompanied the transfer of ballast water and destruction of ecology and movement to preserve marine ecology has emerged. And a new market for the treatment of ballast water has emerged to prevent the destruction of marine ecology by sterilizing or removing harmful organisms in the ballast water.

 In view of my experience as a person who has been involved in the shipbuilding industry for more than 30 years, the ballast water treatment system is a representative case of new creative technologies and it is expected that a blue ocean market worth 80 trillion won will be formed throughout the world. It is a newly created item to protect the environment rather than a traditional shipbuilding system. Installation of this system has become mandatory by International Maritime Organization and this technology is a product of technology convergence and fusion.

The current mega trend of shipbuilding industry is the pursuit of unmanned automatic control and high efficiency based on high value added ship and computer system centering on eco-ships. In line with this, new technology that combined marine engineering, machinery and electric engineering, material engineering, chemical engineering, biology, microbiology, environmental engineering and ICT has been applied to ballast water treatment devices. This new technology is a product of convergence and fusion like Bibimbop, one of famous K-FOOD items, and Korean shipbuilding equipment companies are leading the world market as the market leaders in reality and in name. I am sure that this will be one of the driving forces of creative economy.

The Korean government has provided a lot of supports and policies for these companies to develop new markets and become global leaders with their excellent original technology. “3 Year Economy Innovation Plan” announced by the Park administration in honor of the 1^st anniversary of her inauguration is a hopeful step toward the 2^nd and the 3^rd convergence and fusion technologies. The plan includes establishment of “Creative Economy Innovation Centers” by 17 local governments by next year, 460 billion won investment in jobs for young people and angel investment funds, and expansion of entrepreneurship universities. Government’s efforts to establish infra for the realization of creative economy, such as “3 Year Economy Innovation Plan” should continue.

In addition to the government’s efforts, private sector’s efforts to develop new technologies through convergence and fusion of existing technologies and production technologies are needed. If this is realized, companies can achieve sustainable management by creating new industries and high quality jobs, securing global competitiveness, and solidifying base for long term development. The technology convergence and fusion is a driving force of creative economy and a task many companies should strive to fulfill.