A platform for economic cooperation
The 19th Asia-Pacific Conference of German Business (APK 2026) was held from Thursday to Saturday at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas, bringing together, according to the source, 800 business leaders, policymakers and industry representatives from Germany and the Asia-Pacific region. At Friday’s Korea Night, at the Westin Seoul Parnas, South Korean Trade Minister Park Jung-sung stated his intention to extend cooperation beyond Korea and Germany to partners in the Asia-Pacific area, committing to “open, stable and mutually beneficial” economic relations. The evening event, organised by the South Korean Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy with APK 2026, was attended by 500 people representing 120 German and Asia-Pacific companies, according to the report.
The event was not limited to panels and B2B meetings: the programme included a Deutsche Bank welcome reception at the Shilla Seoul on Thursday evening, two coffee-networking moments between the morning sessions on Friday and Saturday, and a sundowner party after the official close on Saturday. Korea Night featured performances of traditional Korean percussion and taekwondo. Stefan Rouenhoff, Parliamentary State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, stressed that the proceedings had already covered many topics in the panels, B2B meetings and political talks, and that the most enduring collaborations arise from informal conversations.
Manufacturing toward “full-stack” AI
During Korea Night, Professor Youn Byeng-dong of Seoul National University presented the South Korean government’s initiative for transforming the manufacturing industry through artificial intelligence, called M.AX. The vision outlined envisages “full-stack” AI factories capable of linking data collection, analysis, decision-making and physical execution. “We have a unique opportunity to shape the future of manufacturing AI and assume global leadership in the manufacturing sector. Let’s make it happen,” Youn told participants, according to the source.
The presentation indicates a stated priority: integrating AI into physical production processes, not only digital functions. However, the material does not clarify the timeline, allocated resources, companies involved or the initiative’s regulatory framework—elements that remain to be verified. Likewise, it does not indicate what specific role Germany or Asia-Pacific partners might play in the project.
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The 2026 edition also devoted space to the startup ecosystem and its role in AI-based innovation. On Friday afternoon, a live pitch session led by Rouenhoff and Anna Maria Braun, chief executive officer of B.Braun, a multinational medical and pharmaceutical technology company, gave five startups from India, Korea, Singapore, Vietnam and China the opportunity to present their proposals in the sector. The main recognition went to Dzung Do Nguyen, chief executive officer of Enfarm, a Vietnamese startup specialising in AI-enabled agriculture to support small farmers.
On Saturday morning, a further session sought to foster innovation and cross-border partnerships among startups, with an informal coffee-centred format that prioritises communication and cooperation. Overall, the programme points to a dual track: on the one hand, industrial policy for manufacturing AI; on the other, support for young companies and their internationalisation. The source does not report investment amounts, signed agreements or startup selection criteria, so the concrete impact of these initiatives is not yet documented.
