Interview of Kim Shin-bae, Chairman of Korea Association of RFID/USN Well-known global professionals to gather, mix RFID/USN Korea 2006 is to be held at the Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul, Korea. Many prominent experts and researchers in the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and Ubiquitous Sensor Network (USN) field all over the world are gathering for this event here in Seoul. The Korea Association of RFID/USN chaired by Kim Shin-bae has announced that RFID/USN Korea 2006 will be held from November 7 to 9 under the slogan of "Come See and Feel u-World with RFID/USN." This is the second conference following the first RFID/USN 2005 Korea last year. Seventyfive companies and institutions at home and abroad are to participate in this event while preparing for 282 booths. The scale of this year's event has been doubled compared with that of last year. More notably, world-famous RFID/USN-related professionals have been invited to this international conference, and so a high degree of academic exchange will be made. In addition to the RFID/USN international exhibition and conference, the following events will be held: the second RFID/USN research paper awards ceremony, an export consultation meeting for participating companies and overseas buyers, a domestic IT tour for visiting foreigners, and the Korea- China RFID/USN Round Table. More than 30,000 expected to visit The major companies and institutions participating in the exhibition, which is to be held in the Atlantic Hall of COEX, are as follows: Korean government-run institutions including NIA and ETRI; large domestic enterprises including SKT, KTF, Samsung SDS, LG CNS, LS Industrial Systems, Hyundai Information Technology, and LG Hitachi; small and mediumsize businesses including Seyeon Technology, Hanse Telecom, and SNR. The total number of domestic companies stands at 60. Overseas companies from five nations -- the US, China, Japan, Germany, and Finland -- number 55. All these companies and organizations will try to show off their new products and state-of-the-art technologies. So all the visitors including overseas buyers, users, and officials of participating companies will have high expectations. More than 30,000 people are expected to visit this event. The conference is composed of three tracks: Mobile RFID, RFID, and USN. They cover various topics in the RFID/USN field. The conference is designed to bring a large number of researchers, professionals, and business executives from home and abroad in order to discuss the latest knowledge and to share the leading technologies in this field. Especially, the RFID/USN 2006 Conference will provide key networking opportunities to meet and interact with great researchers who have profound knowledge and extensive experience in various aspects of the RFID/USN. In addition, the domestic RFID/USN model projects which are attracting people's attention and foreign companies' application cases, both in the public sector and private sector, are to be introduced in this conference.

The following are excerpts from an interview with Kim Shin-bae, chairman of Korea Association of RFID/USN. --Ed. Q: The RFID/USN Korea 2006 event seems to carry an important meaning in the history of Korean IT industry. Could you briefly explain the purpose and expectations of this event A: Following the first "RFID/USN 2005 Korea" last year, this is the second event. 75 companies and institutions at home and abroad are to participate this event. The scale of this year's event has been doubled compared with that of last year. More notably, RFID/USN-related world-famous professionals have been invited to this international conference, and so a high degree of academic exchange will be made. This purpose of this event is to help Korean RFID/USN industry gain competitive edge in the global market at an earlier date. We also aim to vitalize related business, enhance technological competitiveness, suggest profitable business models, and exchange information on new technologies. Q: Please give us a brief explanation about the current situation of the domestic RFID/USN market. A: Due to the fact that RFID/USN still has high uncertainty, demonstration business is very important. Accordingly, by making use of demonstration business in the public sector, the Korean government is stepping up the introduction and expansion of RFID/USN. The government has made a basic plan to disseminate RFID/USN with an aim to establish a future ubiquitous network environment at an earlier date.

During the event period, foreign visitors will be given an opportunity to have an IT tour for free. This IT tour includes the visit of Seoul's Hall of Traffic Card Systems and domestic IT companies where visitors can see the application of RFID/USN in various fields. Also, in the second RFID/USN research paper awards ceremony, 13 excellent papers will be awarded. Meanwhile, Kim Shin-bae, chairman of the Korea Association of RFID/USN and organizer of this event said: "In an effort to help Korean RFID/USN industry gain competitive edge in the global market at an earlier date, we have planned to hold the 'RFID/USN International Exhibition and Conference' aiming to vitalize related business, to enhance technological competitiveness, and to suggest profitable business models and exchange information on new technologies." Market and technology trends of RFID/USN The world market of RFID/USN amounts to US$11.36 billion in 2004. As the RFID sector grows at an average annual growth rate of 13.3% and the USN sector expands 25.5% yearly, the total market of RFID/USN is expected to reach US$54.08 in 2010. Like the world market, the domestic market is also expected to grow at a similar rate, thus reaching US$3.9 billion in 2010 as illustrated in Figure 2-14. Along with world's largest distributor Wal-Mart's RFID introduction, the US RFID/USN market is rapidly expanding. Especially since the 9/11 terrorist attack, the matter of security has become an important issue. Because of this, RFID/USN has been widely introduced in the airport and port logistics fields. Now, it is steadily spread into the clothing, food and beverage, home electronics appliances, pharmacy, and distribution fields. In the domestic market, due to the fact that RFID/USN still has high uncertainty, demonstration business is very important. So by making use of demonstration business in the public sector the Korean government is stepping up the introduction of RFID/USN. The government has made a basic plan to disseminate RFID/USN with an aim to establish a future ubiquitous network environment at an earlier date, and is actively pushing for the development of new original technologies in a bid to nurture related industries into promising business in the future. To promote and stimulate RFID/USN industry, it is expanding not only demonstration business in the public sector, but also establishing a comprehensive test center that can support the field tests of domestic products and resolve complaints.