The ‘2026 World IT Show (hereinafter WIS 2026)’, the largest ICT exhibition in Korea with more than 450 domestic and overseas companies in the AX and innovative technology sectors participating, will be held at COEX in Seoul for three days from Wednesday, April 22 to Friday, April 24. The event is hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT, sponsored by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and co-organized by six institutions including the Korea International Trade Association and the Korea Information & Communication Promotion Association.

Held under the theme ‘The AI EXPERIENCE (Beyond Tech, Into AIXPERIENCE)’, the exhibition will feature large Korean conglomerates and telecom operators in the global AI value chain, as well as a significant number of companies in the Physical AI sector, including various robotics and intelligent mobility companies. Companies providing essential technologies for the AI era, such as digital twins and advanced security technologies, will also participate in the event, presenting the latest business models for corporate users and consumers.

This year’s event will unveil inference-specialized generative K-AI models and AX technologies that can be immediately deployed in operational sites. In addition, promising startups and mid-sized and small and medium-sized enterprises in the fields of quantum computing and wearables will participate in large numbers to showcase their innovative technologies. New models of smart factories and smart homes closely networked by AI, the latest SaaS and other cloud business models, as well as the latest technologies and new products in AI-based digital healthcare, will also be presented at the venue.

This year’s WIS is recruiting exhibitors with a focus on responding to the AI-centered market-leading strategies of global big tech companies and the AI transformation (AX) demand across all industrial sectors. The main exhibit categories are the latest R&D成果 (technologies) and products in △ AI & Digital Intelligence (including AI semiconductors and quantum AI) △ Robotics & Intelligent Mobility and other Physical AI △ Immersive Spatial Tech (including digital twins) △ Smart Life & Data Tech (including AI security).

Among WIS’s side events, the ‘Business Connecting, Mingling Zone (Mingling Zone)’, regarded as an optimal opportunity for ‘business networking between technology demand and supply companies’, is drawing attention. Through prior analysis of business needs, this corporate matching service program identifies concrete business opportunities and investment attraction possibilities among innovative companies and large, mid-sized, and small and medium-sized enterprises on-site. Last year, 50 companies achieved more than 200 business matching outcomes through this program.

In addition, events such as the ‘Global ICT Outlook Conference’, which analyzes the latest trends in the ICT market, the ‘Global ICT Buyer Invitation Export Consultation Meeting’ organized by the Korea International Trade Association, the ‘WIS New Technology · New Product Presentation’ where participating companies can showcase their latest technologies and new products, and award ceremonies including the ‘WIS Innovation Award’ and the ‘Korea ImpaCT-ech Grand Prize’, which recognize participating companies’ technological innovativeness, will be held on-site.

As a new program this year, the ‘Global EnterTech Business Forum’ will be held to explore the global EnterTech industry, where AI, content, and platforms converge. This forum will focus on the digital transformation and AX (AI Transformation) of the entertainment industry, including AI, XR, metaverse, streaming, and fandom platforms, and will serve as a venue for sharing the latest trends and business strategies in the global EnterTech market. Experiential programs such as AI production tool demonstrations, EnterTech service demos, and hands-on workshops will also be offered.

A WIS official stated, “The 2026 WIS will be a valuable opportunity for Korean companies to identify the latest AX trends and seek new business opportunities as the full-fledged AI paradigm era unfolds,” adding, “It will be the optimal space for companies to share a wide range of AX成果 and business models, as well as future policy directions, in industrial and public sectors, including cutting-edge robotics and mobility and everyday life-oriented AI services.”

The official also said, “As it has done so far, WIS 2026 will continue to serve as the largest ICT marketplace in Korea for domestic and overseas companies,” and added, “The organizing institutions will actively support domestic and overseas mid-sized and small and medium-sized enterprises and startups, as well as other innovative companies, so that they can generate tangible business outcomes through this event.”

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