New | South Korea’s Park urges global leaders to embrace innovation, green technology
Asian governments need to invest more in innovative industry and green technology, according to a keynote address Tuesday by South Korea’s President Park Geun-hye to kickoff the 7th Asian Leadership Conference in Seoul.
“We have seen a lot of new technology start-ups in software, big data companies and other innovative companies setting up. The number of venture capital companies have been growing every year,” Park said.
She added that venture capital investment in South Korea last year was the highest level in 15 years.
Park said South Korea has become a technology power house thanks in part to investments made more than a decade ago.
She said both government and corporations should work towards research and development to encourage creative industries and new technologies.
In a later address to the forum, Iranian vice-president Masoumeh Ebtekar said her nation had made strides in areas that include green technologies to counter pollution.
“It is important to achieve a balance between the natural and our living environment. We should not develop our economy in a selfish and short sighted manner,” she said.
“Global warming and many environmental problems are hurting our planet. We need to develop our economy in a way that could prevent over consumption. We need to preserve a better world for our next generation,” she said.
She said companies would need to achieve a balance between profit and social responsibility. “As Asian represents 50 per cent of the economy worldwide, it is important for Asian countries to invest more in innovation and green technology,” she said.
Other major world leaders in attendance include former US President George W Bush and Indonesian President Joko Widodo.
