KIDP President Yoon Joo Kang
Front desk of the Design Korea Pavilion
An attendee asks questions to the EFLOW’s representative in the Pavilion
Commemorative group photo of representatives from the Design Korea Pavilion
With artificial intelligence becoming pervasive in consumer hardware, KIDP President Yoon Joo Kang intends to bring the flagship “Design Korea” exhibition to international venues beginning next year.
BERLIN, GERMANY, September 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com /– At IFA 2026 held in Berlin, the Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP) made a strategic proclamation: as artificial intelligence (AI) flattens the technological gap across consumer devices, industrial and user-experience design has re-emerged as the critical axis of worldwide market competition.
Speaking at the Messe Berlin venue, KIDP chief Yoon Joo Kang stressed that while major technology companies have driven the past decade with raw performance specifications, the universal adoption of AI is turning technology into standard baseline infrastructure.
& quot;Consumers don't need to know AI coding; what matters is how AI enhances human happiness,& quot; remarked President Kang. & quot;AI does not kill design—it accelerates the era of design. Without design acting as the bridge between humanity and technology, innovation remains confined to abstract capability without real-world impact.& quot;
Korean Design Talent Powering Global Tech Giants
The shift toward a design-centric marketplace is already evident in commercial demand. Through the Design Trade Mission initiative—led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and KIDP—South Korean industrial design firms have secured premium agreements with major international conglomerates, including Chinese consumer electronics leaders Xiaomi and Haier.
Four specialized design consultancies—BDCI, Second White, intenxiv, and ABOVE—represented this service-export program at IFA 2026, presenting directly to European companies and startups during the B2B networking event “Korean Design Meets Berlin: Built for Real Life.”
International Expansion of Design Korea Set for Next Year
To strengthen global recognition of Korean design intellectual property, President Kang announced that KIDP will take its flagship domestic exhibition, Design Korea, to the world stage beginning next year.
The initiative will tour key international markets using an integrated model that combines products, manufacturing firms, and design agencies via trade shows, independent showcases, and roadshows. After IFA 2026, the delegation will move its outreach to Maison & amp; Objet in Paris and the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, backed by post-exhibition legal, export, and contract-negotiation assistance.
President Kang also called for a unified national branding approach across government bodies: “In an era of technological parity where external presentation defines national identity, presenting fragmented pavilion facades dilutes our collective impact. Establishing an integrated control tower to project a singular K-design image is an urgent priority.”
Human-Centered Utility at the IFA NEXT Pavilion
The principle of prioritizing human usefulness over raw technical specs was demonstrated across the 170.5-square-meter Design Korea Pavilion in Hall 25 (IFA NEXT). Developed through the Design-Driven Manufacturing Innovation Program, 13 manufacturing enterprises presented lifestyle-focused applications of advanced technology:
* DH Global: A compact 150-liter kimchi refrigerator created for single-person households and boutique hospitality settings.
* FRT Robotics: The Step-Up Neo, an unpowered, ergonomic soft exogear engineered to alleviate lower back strain in industrial workplaces without motors or batteries.
* EFLOW: The HyDee portable hydrogen fuel cell generator, providing zero-emission power on demand.
* U2 System: The Purisoo Plus, an all-in-one portable water purification bottle.
Additional exhibitors included EKLEER (standalone AI smart display), Motoway (Ceracam heavy machinery AI safety camera), DARAM (KAISAR healthcare device), Hexa Innoheal (Ember Q pain-relief device), EMSONIC (Lumio Bluetooth speaker), Bokuk Electronics (rapid-heating dishwasher-safe humidifier), SM (salon nail dust collector), PTG Company (Bartooler modular beverage dispenser), and Yeomyeong Lighting (smart LED streetlights).
& quot;Our goal is to ensure domestic enterprises earn international recognition not merely for being 'Made in Korea,' but for the premium value of being 'Designed in Korea,'& quot; concluded Kang.
About KIDP
The Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP) is a government-affiliated agency under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE). Established to boost national industrial competitiveness, KIDP supports design research, global service exports, design-driven manufacturing innovation, and the cultivation of specialized design talent.
Nara Suh
Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP)
+82 31-780-2227
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
Facebook
YouTune
KIDP President Interview
