Stepping Into the Future at Asia’s Innovative Tech Hub
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By News Reporter
Steadfastly embracing its mantra of ‘Life’s Good,’ LG believes that its products are more than the sum of their parts. That’s why the company is constantly innovating cutting-edge products which can help it shape a world where exceptional value is the norm and a smarter, more convenient life is accessible to everyone. These efforts bring LG one step closer to realizing a Better Life for All.
Since 2020, LG has been exploring new business opportunities to innovate the customer experience, leveraging the ideas, experiences and skills of its members through its in-house venture and company-in-company system.
In line with this commitment, LG has fostered a work environment that encourages employees to embrace new challenges, exemplified by last year’s launch of ‘STUDIO341.’ This initiative’s primary mission is to identify and foster internal ventures that encapsulate the spirit of challenge and innovation, the very spirit that has driven LG’s transformation from its humble beginnings as Goldstar in 1958 to a global powerhouse.
Designed with the Brave Optimist mindset, this initiative is tailored for company executives and employees based in Korea. The sole criterion? A creative idea that can solve a problem worth solving and provide a new experience to customers.
The five most outstanding ideas were selected for spin-off. Let’s delve into them.
MASKIT Founder Bae Ho-yeon
MASKIT: Secure & Queue-Free Concert Ticketing Solution
In response to the constraints of traditional concert hall ticketing systems, MASKIT collaborated with customer experience specialists at LG to create a system that allows customers to verify their identity at home and gain entry to a venue without enduring long queues. MASKIT also encrypts all the personal data it collects, ensuring consistent user protection.
This solution provides concert-goers an unprecedented level of convenience, while enabling concert organizers to achieve significant cost efficiencies. MASKIT’s ambition is to roll out this ticketing solution to large concert halls and entertainment companies nationwide, while evolving into a comprehensive culture and arts solution that utilizes personal data in the most secure manner possible.
X UP Founder Lee Yong-soo
X UP: Smart Sensor-based Golf Course Green Management Solution
X UP offers a robotic turf maintenance solution that manages golf courses by analyzing turf data via heat maps. The unpredictability and unknown causes of turf damage make it difficult to prevent, often necessitating repairs after the damage has occurred. However, X UP allows golf courses to shift from physical repairs to a data-driven preventative management strategy.
Looking ahead, X UP aspires to become the go-to robotic solution company offering a more efficient alternative to manual golf course maintenance.
FRESH GO Founder Lee Sung-hoon
Fresh GO: Modular Individual Refrigerator for Cold Chain Transportation
Fresh GO has pioneered an individual cooling cold chain solution that facilitates the transportation of fresh food in conventional trucks, meeting the growing demand for food deliveries. This innovative cooling method uses Physics-Informed Neural Networks and Ref Cycle technology, matching the performance of competitors at half the cost.
The temperature can be individually adjusted for each item, and the design, which eliminates the need to open the entire door, aids in maintaining internal temperatures. It can even be adapted for air deliveries. Fresh GO’s CEO, Lee Seong-hoon, has leveraged his experience at LG to bring this concept to life, addressing customer needs.
Cucumbers Founder Lee Jae-hyuk
Cucumbers: Cost-Effective Pickup Service and Marketing Tool for Restaurants
Cucumbers provides an intelligent solution that lessens the commission burden on restaurants while also acting as a marketing tool to draw in regular customers. By offering a pickup service with in-store prices and group pickup discounts, it allows users to reduce their cost burden, encouraging a symbiotic relationship.
Found Objet Founder Kim Ju-hee
Found Objet: Recycled Materials Trading Platform for a Sustainable Future
Found Objet, a platform that streamlines transactions between recycling companies and buyers, is the brainchild of CEO Kim Ju-hee, formerly of LG Vehicle component Solutions Company. She observed that many recycled materials businesses were run by the older generation, who often didn’t fully grasp market prices and needed to acquire new customers as the market expanded. Concurrently, purchasing managers at chemical companies were looking to gather information from various businesses to secure a consistent supply of raw materials. Found Objet bridges this information gap, contributing to a more sustainable future.
STUDIO341’s final five were selected based on their potential for growth and their capacity to continually innovate the customer experience moving forward. LG and Bluepoint intend to collaboratively invest up to KRW 400 million in each of these start-ups.
Stay tuned to
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By News Reporter
Hanok, traditional Korean houses, are renowned for their aesthetic beauty construction and harmonious integration with nature. Inspired by this distinctive architectural form – prized for its energy efficiency, natural ventilation and lighting – LG Spain has constructed an AI-powered home named ‘Another Hanok.’ This innovative abode showcases LG’s latest technological and design advancements and highlights some of the ecologically-focused projects undertaken as part of LG Spain’s ‘Smart Green’ movement.
During the Another Hanok opening ceremony, LG reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the global climate response through its ongoing ESG initiatives and sustainable product solutions. The event was attended by 80 guests, including the president of LG Spain, local and Korean government officials and representatives from various partner companies. Since establishing the Smart Green movement in 2017, LG Spain has developed product solutions aimed at reducing environmental harm while encouraging and fostering community engagement.
Efficient Innovations for Sustainable Dwellings
Self-sufficient, connected and sustainably powered, Another Hanok embraces and embodies LG’s Smart Green philosophy. The house produces, stores, saves and shares clean energy, achieving 100 percent energy independence* through the use of LG’s state-of-the-art technologies as a way to reduce its environmental impact.
Leading up to the entrance of Another Hanok is a beautifully designed pathway that inspires feelings of peace and tranquility while reminding visitors of the pressing environmental issues facing our planet. As visitors approach the house, they encounter a variety of interactive displays and installations that spotlight the challenges of reducing carbon emissions and the urgent need for companies and consumers to adopt responsible practices.
Inside, visitors can explore several spaces, each focused on different aspects of sustainable living. From energy-efficient appliances to advanced HVAC systems, Another Hanok demonstrates how LG’s cutting-edge technologies and solutions can help create a net-zero-energy home. The seamless installation of the LG Therma V R290 Monobloc heat pump contributes to the house’s efficient use of power, while ensuring the reliable heating and cooling for visitor comfort. Conveniently, the solution’s energy consumption can be monitored through the ThinQ Energy Service. Additionally, surplus energy produced by the solar panels installed on the roof of Another Hanok is stored in LG’s energy storage system.
Expanding the Smart Green Movement
Launched in 2017, LG Spain’s Smart Green movement is an initiative that continues to help regenerate local environments and ecosystems. The movement’s goals include planting 48 million trees (Smart Green Trees), repopulating 48 million Iberian bees to ensure the pollination of countless endemic plant species (Smart Green Bees), and reviving the health of the Mediterranean Sea (Smart Green Seas).
The ‘Another Life’ Experience
Another Hanok is a part of LG’s ‘Another Life’ series, a collection of offline experience spaces that provide customers with unique opportunities to interact with LG’s lifestyle-enhancing products. Each of these spaces offers a welcoming atmosphere along with compelling displays and exhibits that promote sustainability and responsible technological innovation. Beginning in South Korea in 2022, the series has since expanded internationally with the addition of sites such as ‘Another Saigon’ in Vietnam.
LG views Another Hanok as a new, more-engaging kind of B2B showroom, where its European B2B clients can see first-hand the company’s strong commitment to achieving carbon neutrality. In the spirit of its Life’s Good philosophy, LG will continue to innovate and inspire, leveraging its technology leadership to help usher in a new era of sustainability.
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* Average yearly photovoltaic (PV) power generation at Another Hanok is 22,030 kWh while average monthly power consumption is 16,870kWh. Actual power generation and power usage may vary.
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By News Reporter
Company to Share Its Unique Perspective on the Transition to SDVs,
Demonstrate How LG Software Solutions Address Key Challenges for Future Mobility
SEOUL, May 17, 2024 — LG Electronics (LG), a mobility sector technology leader, will be sharing its latest insights and innovations at AutoTech: Detroit, taking place in Detroit, Michigan, U.S.A., from June 5-6. Organized by the Informa Tech Automotive Group, AutoTech: Detroit is one of the automotive industry’s premier events, typically drawing over 3,000 industry leaders and experts. This year’s show will explore the latest advancements in automotive technology, including the areas of software-defined vehicles (SDVs), connectivity, electrification and design.
LG’s AutoTech: Detroit conference session, titled BEYOND THE ROAD: NAVIGATING THE SDV TRANSITION, will focus on the present and future of SDVs. The session will explore three pivotal challenges facing the industry: the technical complexities of developing a unified vehicle operating system, how to transform user experiences through the realization of a “Living Space on Wheels,” and the need to adapt current business models for sustained innovation and value creation.
The company’s presentation will seek to highlight the critical role of LG AlphaWare in the evolution of the SDV. A comprehensive suite of software solutions, LG AlphaWare empowers mobility providers to collaborate and innovate, supporting them to overcome diverse technical challenges while bringing home-like comfort and connectivity to the in-vehicle environment.
LG’s session is scheduled to take place at 12:15-12:40 (EST) on June 5 at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi, Michigan. For more information about LG’s session at AutoTech: Detroit 2024, visit
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By News Reporter
With an unwavering policy of open innovation with startups around the world, LG has been fostering businesses outside its own to better prepare for the future. These big-picture efforts are centered on LG NOVA, the company’s North American Innovation Center in California’s Silicon Valley – known worldwide as the hub of startups.
Established in 2021, LG NOVA aspires to form a collaborative ecosystem that accelerates the growth of new ideas by working closely with startups on new businesses that can enhance LG’s future readiness.
LG NOVA aligns with LG CEO William Cho’s growth strategy of 3B – Build, Buy and Borrow – to strengthen the company’s future growth engine by embracing talent and technology through exchanges with various innovative companies.
Let’s look at how this essential innovation center works with its partners to bring about groundbreaking advancements. Furthermore, we’ll explore how it is establishing a community dedicated to creating and nuturing businesses that contribute positively to the future of our world.
Discovering Global Startups to Break New Ground in Healthcare
LG NOVA’s “Mission for the Future” program, now in its fourth year, is designed to discover and nurture innovative global startups seeking to improve people’s quality of life in a greener, smarter and more-connected future.
In its first three years, LG NOVA received over 4,000 submissions from innovative global startups, with more than 100 companies selected to explore joint business opportunities with LG.
This year is an especially important one, as this month, LG NOVA unveiled its first new venture, “Primefocus Health,” with Darren Sabo, previously head of commercialization of new health ventures at LG NOVA, at the helm as the CEO. Sabo has a wealth of experience in new business development, making him the perfect candidate to take this digital health venture forward.
(From left to right) Darren Sabo, CEO of Primefocus Health, and Sokwoo Rhee, Head of LG NOVA and SVP of Innovation for LG Electronics
Primefocus Health is committed to easing the journey from hospital to home for patients. It leverages cutting-edge technologies and novel healthcare treatments through a platform designed to offer patients access to a personalized care plan. This plan, curated by their healthcare provider, aids in the recovery from chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure.
This healthcare platform also offers providers access to patient data and information, enabling them to assist, guide, communicate and intervene as necessary during the patient’s home recovery. The platform aims to facilitate remote patient monitoring, providing real-time biometric information that can be integrated into the provider’s electronic health record systems.
LG NOVA is collaborating with more healthcare startups through the Mission for the Future program, including
link hidden, please login to view, which integrates immersive VR/AR technology to provide comprehensive therapeutic care for remote medical treatment, and , a sensor-based technology platform that utilizes the cameras in personal devices to virtually capture health readings to enhance diagnosis and treatment effectiveness.
Another example that demonstrates LG NOVA’s focus on digital health is , a virtual care platform to treat polychronic mental and physical illness that was selected during the 2021 Mission for the Future challenge. This solution leverages AI to harness clinical, genetic, gut microbiome, food and behavioral signals to target the root cause of illness.
LG NOVA plans to continuously launch new businesses through ventures in LG’s future growth areas including digital health, clean tech and AI.
Promoting Symbiotic Growth in West Virginia
This year, LG NOVA is joining hands with West Virginia to revitalize the local economy by fostering future businesses while bringing instances of win-win cooperations to this U.S. state and the dynamic Appalachian region.
The announcement introduced the NOVA West Virginia Investment Fund, which aims to drive USD 700 million into the region over five years through investment.
The decision to invest in West Virginia, which is over 2,000 miles away from LG NOVA in Silicon Valley, stems from the REINVENT LG initiative. Under the leadership of CEO Cho, LG has been carrying out various initiatives to redefine everything from its business structure and brand to the way it works. What makes West Virginia the perfect partner is its similar desire to reinvent itself to revitalize the local economy.
Primefocus Health also plans to work closely in the Mountain State.
Increasing Funds to Foster Potential Startups
LG NOVA is also significantly expanding the scale of its investment and speeding up its investments for the future. In 2023, it signed an agreement with Clearbrook, a global venture investment company, to expand the global startup development fund – NOVA Prime Fund.
Through collaborating with external experts to identify the latest technology trends, discover more innovative companies and offer comprehensive support, the company hopes to accelerate the growth of startups and discover opportunities for collaborations across various business areas.
A Talent Acquisition Outpost that Competes with Big Tech
LG NOVA also serves as an outpost to secure the best talent in Silicon Valley, an area dominated by big tech companies. By accurately reading future industrial trends and executing effectively, LG NOVA will be able to move one step ahead of the competition. At the same time, their challenging and brave attitude toward innovation will give a boost to the overall organizational culture.
Dr. Sokwoo Rhee, head of LG NOVA, is the perfect example of this. After founding an IoT startup, Rhee went on to serve in the U.S. government, as assistant director for Cyber-Physical Systems at the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology and Presidential Innovation Fellow at the White House.
(From left to right) Joshua Di Frances, the leader of LG NOVA’s incubation office, and Darren Sabo, CEO of Primefocus Health
Joshua Di Frances, the leader of LG NOVA’s incubation office, is another key executive with experience across various areas including medicine, business and the public sector. Di Frances studied neuroscience at Boston University, an MBA from MIT and built an impressive career at CVS Health and the White House. Since joining LG NOVA in 2021, he is working to build new businesses in digital health, cleantech and immersive/AI future technology with his team of entrepreneurs-in-residence.
And, with the recent global boom in startups among AI engineering students, LG NOVA has been hosting the ‘Innovation Festival’ every fall to provide a space where innovative companies and investors can exchange information and expand.
LG NOVA will continue to seek out innovation from outside LG. To learn more about LG NOVA and its efforts to build, nurture and grow future-defining innovations, visit .
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By News Reporter
LG is rooted in the philosophy of open innovation – an open approach to innovation and facilitating collaboration to create a better life for all. These collaborative partnerships involve LG affiliate companies and extend to government, universities and research labs, with the goal to establish an open ecosystem of innovation that will benefit and empower all involved.
Recently, the LG Toronto AI Lab welcomed 30 graduate students from various universities in South Korea to the
link hidden, please login to view (CARTE) at the University of Toronto. The event – initiated and organized by the Toronto AI Lab in collaboration with CARTE – brought these talented students together to explore applied research partnerships in Canada and introduce them to career opportunities at LG. Sponsored by the South Korean government and managed through the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, the 6-month CARTE program accommodates students from a wide range of disciplines, including technology, engineering, and the natural and mathematical sciences and aims to inspire students to leverage AI innovatively in their respective fields.
The selection for this program was competitive, drawing participants from among South Korea’s brightest. These selected students will engage in 10 industry projects, including three spearheaded by the LG Toronto AI Lab.
Kevin Ferreira, Senior Director and Head of the LG Toronto AI Lab, shared, “Our collaboration with the University of Toronto and the South Korean government on the CARTE program aims to enhance our research capabilities and strengthen our talent pool. This event enabled us to present the extensive work undertaken at the LG Toronto AI Lab to an exceptional group of Korean students, laying the groundwork for deeper research collaboration.”
Showcasing some of the Toronto AI Lab’s recent work, Manasa Bharadwaj, Senior AI Research Scientist, presented on behalf of the LG Toronto AI Lab’s Conversational AI team and their research into Responsible Conversational AI. The talk covered the motivation, technical details and results of the team’s 2023 published research titled ‘COUNT’ and ‘GPT-Detox’. The two paraphrasing approaches leverage unlikelihood training and prompt-based approaches respectively to convert unsafe text into safe text.
Mathieu Tuli, AI Research Scientist, presented on the work that the LG Toronto AI Lab Digital Human team conducts, highlighting FlowFace, the team’s recent CVPR) 2024 accepted paper. The talk provided detail on why FlowFace is an important innovation for the community at large, and how it affects the rest of the Digital Human pipeline.
Thi Ha Kyaw, Staff AI Research Scientist, presented an introduction to quantum computing and quantum algorithms in general, and why quantum is worth pursuing in the current quantum utility era. He also presented his team’s recent result on super-exponential catastrophe of quantum algorithms in noisy quantum hardware.
During their time in the program, students will participate in graduate-level intensive courses in Machine Learning and AI, delivered by the University of Toronto’s Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering. They will also benefit from tailored AI support services provided by CARTE, including research and training in AI for academic and industry partners.
Furthermore, students will have the opportunity to attend several applied AI seminars at the University of Toronto and engage with AI and machine learning projects across various sectors, including industry, government, and non-profits. A dedicated workspace will also be available to them, fostering collaboration and allowing them to apply their knowledge and skills within Toronto’s thriving AI ecosystem.
The program will conclude in late June, where selected students will present their projects to industry partners, showcasing their achievements and the potential for future innovations in AI.
Contributed by LG Canada
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