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“Now is 100% Korea’s time. »
When Jensen Huang spoke these words in Seoul in June 2026, the NVIDIA leader wasn’t just talking about semiconductors. His message was aimed more broadly at the place that South Korea now intends to occupy in the next generation of strategic industries: artificial intelligence, quantum computing, robotics, digital infrastructure and Physical AI.
For several decades, global technological competition has mainly revolved around research, patents, scientific publications or the financing of innovation. The simultaneous emergence of generative AI, quantum and autonomous systems is now shifting the center of gravity of this competition.
The subject is no longer just about knowing where a technology is invented but now consists of identifying territories capable of quickly transforming a scientific innovation into an industrial product, then into an economic advantage.
It is precisely in this area that Seoul is seeking to differentiate itself today.
Pasqal and Quandela tell the same story.
In 2025, Pasqal, one of the main European players in quantum computing founded in particular by the Nobel Prize winner in physics Alain Aspect, signed an agreement with the city of Seoul relating to the creation of a quantum research and development center representing nearly $53 million in investments.
For the French company, the objective goes far beyond just opening a local office.
“Our expansion into Korea not only opens up collaboration opportunities with world-class industrial and academic partners, but also strategically positions Pasqal as a pioneering player in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific quantum market. », explained then Wasiq BokhariChairman of Pasqal.
Alongside this broader dynamic, another major French company in the quantum technology sector, Whenelaalso announced its intention to strengthen its presence in Seoul. The French specialist in quantum photonics plans to recruit several dozen engineers and specialized researchers, to develop a Quantum Computing Farm (quantum computing farm) and launch a joint research program with KAISTdedicated to communication technologies
Both companies are not just looking for a market, but an environment capable of connecting fundamental research, talent, industry, capital and commercial deployment within a single ecosystem.
Why Seoul attracts European critical technologies.
This development explains the rise in power of Invest Seoul, the agency created by the municipality of Seoul to attract foreign investment in strategic sectors.
Launched in October 2025, Invest Seoul presents itself as the first agency dedicated to international attractiveness created by a local Korean community. Its ambition is to make Seoul a global platform capable of welcoming companies developing the critical technologies of tomorrow.
At its head, Jihyung LeePresident & CEO ofInvest Seoulan expert in investment policies and international trade, defends a vision that goes far beyond simple economic attractiveness.
“Our mission goes beyond simply promoting the city: we support international companies in their successful establishment in the Seoul market and in creating sustainable value through innovation. », he explains in an interview with FW.MEDIA.
For local authorities, the next global technological battle will be played out less on the capacity to produce research than on the capacity to accelerate the transition between laboratory and industrialization.
This conviction is based on several structural assets.
South Korea has an exceptional concentration of global industrial players in semiconductors, electronics, shipbuilding, automobiles, robotics and digital infrastructure. This industrial density allows technology companies to test, deploy and industrialize their innovations more quickly.
In the Startup Genome Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025, Seoul was ranked first in the world in the “Knowledge Accumulation” category, which measures in particular the capacity of a territory to concentrate scientific, technological and industrial assets.
The Korean advantage: shortening the distance between laboratory and industry.
For a long time, large technological ecosystems have specialized.
Silicon Valley concentrated capital. Boston dominated certain scientific disciplines. Shenzhen excelled in electronic manufacturing. Singapore established itself as a regional gateway to Asia.
Seoul is now seeking to combine several of these advantages simultaneously.
“Seoul combines one of the most advanced industrial and semiconductor bases in the world with a particularly dynamic open innovation ecosystem,” explains Jihyung Lee. “Seoul today offers one of the most efficient environments in the world for transforming disruptive technologies into concrete economic opportunities. »
For companies like Pasqal or Quandela, whose technologies are gradually entering a commercialization phase, this proximity to the industry becomes a factor of competitiveness.
The challenge is no longer just to build a high-performance quantum computer, but to identify industrial uses, customers, infrastructures and partners capable of accelerating the adoption of these technologies.
From quantum to Physical AI.
The same logic is observed today in artificial intelligence.
Generative AI has long been seen as a software revolution. Its current evolution is gradually bringing it closer to the physical world: robotics, industrial automation, energy infrastructure, predictive maintenance and even autonomous systems.
This convergence explains the growing interest of companies like Cognite in the Korean ecosystem.
A specialist in artificial intelligence applied to industry, the company recently strengthened its presence in Seoul and developed its collaborations with several large Korean groups. Its leader describes South Korea as “a land of opportunity where global manufacturing leaders and cutting-edge R&D capabilities coexist”.
As AI connects to factories, infrastructure and industrial systems, territories capable of simultaneously offering research capabilities and production capabilities are becoming increasingly important.
What this movement says about Europe.
Europe maintains strong positions in several strategic technologies.
European quantum technology is among the most advanced in the world. French universities and laboratories continue to produce world-class research. European companies also remain present in key areas such as cybersecurity, industrial software and critical infrastructure.
But global competition is no longer just about invention.
It now concerns the speed of industrialization.
The decisions taken by Pasqal andQuandela illustrate this evolution. They do not reflect a weakening of Europe. Rather, they reveal the search for new growth drivers capable of accelerating the marketing of technologies developed on the continent.
From this perspective, Seoul is not positioning itself as a competitor to Europe but as a complementary industrial partner.
A Franco-Korean relationship that changes scale.
This dynamic occurs in a particular context.
The year 2026 marks the 140th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and South Korea. At the same time, cooperation between the two countries is increasing around quantum, artificial intelligence, space, nuclear and even the energy transition.
For Invest Seoul, the objective now is to accelerate this movement.
More than a financial center or a simple Asian market, Seoul wants to be seen as a platform capable of supporting European scale-ups in their move to a global scale.
“Our true measure of success is not just measured in numbers,” explains Jihyung Lee. “The real success is when the companies, institutions and investors that we have supported in their establishment in Seoul then recommend Seoul to other players. »
In disruptive industries, the reputation of an ecosystem often circulates faster than public policies themselves.
Pasqal, Quandela and now several players in industrial AI are sending the same signal today: in the new economy of critical technologies, the ability to rapidly industrialize is becoming almost as important as the ability to innovate.
