KATS Hold Int'l Meeting on Nano Technology
- Some 80 experts from 13 countries attend Jeju Island event

 
The Korea Agency for Technology and Standards(KATS) under the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE) held from Oct.7-9 an international standardization convention on Jeju Island with some 80 nano analysts from 13 countries, Yoon Kyo-won, administrator of KATS said.

Around 80 nano experts from 13 foreign countries including the United States, Britain and Japan, discussed 14 items of technology and standard material development for the development of standard measurement of nano material and their chemical and physics valuation. The discussion took place in a round robin test style, Yoon said.

Kim Ik-soo, head of the material & parts standard section of the KATS, said  the convention would raise Korea's position as a top nano technology country and provide an advantageous base for Korean firms to sell their nano-related products overseas when they are ready to penetrate the world market.

He went on to say that one notable fact is that the meeting is the first one to be held after Korea proposed the establishment of a technology committee for nuclear magnifying glass(SC9) and having served as its chairman and dean. The role of Korean experts have been significant in the global meeting.

Korea proposed the establishment of five out of six working groups to lead the international standardization in the area in the world. Many domestic experts in the nano and manufacturing sectors of the semiconductor industry attended the international event since it had a close relation to the semiconductor chip making technology.

For reference, the nano analysis technology committee established 22 international standard specifications  applying the current high-tech analysis with the participation of notable scholars from such leading countries as the United States and Britain to upgrade the semiconductor sector.

Section head Kim said the government will provide its support to the domestic nano industry to go up a step further  in the development of nano products. The government plans to form an international consortium including Russia, Germany, and Sweden in Europe and Japan and China in Asia for the development of nano technology.

APAMI Working Group Meeting:

KATS held the Asia-Pacific Area Medical Information Working Group Standardization(APAMI WG Standardization) held a  meeting on Jeju Island Oct.7-9, Yoon Kyo-won, administrator of the Korea Agency for Technology and Standard(KATS) said.

APAMI Working Group set up a special committee for standardization of medical information in the APAMI region under the IMIA(International Medical Information Association) to secure the linkage with the ISO and WHO. Professor Kwak Yon-shik of Kyungbuk University became the first person to chair the organization and its first meeting was held in Korea.

The medical information standardization means to store them electronically to jointly own them by various medical institutions and it is being taken care of the ISO's TC215. So far 17 kinds of international standards have been decided with 70 kinds under discussion for standardization. According to experts, the Oriental medicine is being snubbed as ISO has been on the side of Western medical side in the standardization process. They said it is better to resolve the situation in a regional group rather than fighting it by an individual country.

Han Tae-soo, head of the Information System Standardization Section of the KATS, said  the meeting provided the opportunity for Korea to be ready for the opening of its market and a base for the standardization of Oriental medicine and jointly own the information on the movement of patients in the Asian sphere. It will also help the standardization of Korean medicine to take its place early in the international standardization.

Korea's international position has been further strengthened with Professor Kwak being the international chairman of the ISO TC215 in addition to being the chairman of APAMI.

For reference, Professor Park Hyun-ae of the Nursing College of Seoul National University played a large role in the development of the internationalization of the nursing words established in 2003.

Professor Shin Hyun-taik of Sookmyung Women? University at the meeting of the medical information international standardization proposed the standardization of electronic report system for side effects of drug abuse and the names of drugs and electronic code and accepted, giving a bright prospect for Korea's health medicine.

RFID Technology:

The Korea Agency for Technology and Standard(KATS) affiliated with the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy(MOCIE) plans to establish  around 50 kinds of the radio frequency identification(RFID) under the Korean standard by 2008, Yoon Kyo-won, administrator of KATS said.

Particularly, the sensor system for RFID and air interface regulation will be taken care of first so that objects that interfere with the activation of the RFID industry will be removed.

KATS plans to set up a guideline for the application of the RFID in linkage with ISO's commodities, animals, vehicles, logistics and ID cards so that the Korean standard based on the international standardization  will be extended to Korean industry.

For reference, the RFID technology will be expanded rapidly following the recruitment announcement by Wal-Mart and the U.S. Defense Department next year, especially in the goods logistics industry and the export industry in Korea is obligated to use the international standardization, Yoon Kyo-won, administrator of KATS said.

With business firms and the government showing  a great interest in the development and application of the RFID technology, KATS plans to have Korea's technology in the international standardization early, Yoon said.

KATS plans to strengthen the role of an expert committee in charge of the international standardization of  RFID so that Korean technology will be reflected in the international standardization. It is taking steps  to build a government-wide cooperative system so that various technology development projects and their results will be linked to the international standardization.

In the meantime, KATS held a seminar on industrial trends and RFID global standardization with the support of a number of domestic organizations, attended by some 500 experts at JW Marriott Hotel on Sept. 22.   nw