EKC 2021 DAY 1

Dear EKC 2021 delegates, On behalf of the Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in Europe, I welcome you to the 13th Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology (EKC 201). EKC is an annual conference where scientists, engineers, government officials, industry executives, and policymakers from Korea and Europe share their expertise and ideas and develop networking and collaboration opportunities. EKC started in Heidelberg in 2008, followed by Reading (2009), Vienna (2010), Paris (2011), Berlin (2012), Brighton (2013), Vienna (2014), Strasbourg (2015), Berlin (2016), Stockholm (2017), Glasgow (2018) and Vienna (2019). Unfortunately, EKC 2020 (Munich) was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, EKC is hosted by three organisations – the Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in Germany (VeKNI), United Kingdom (KSEAUK) and France (ASCoF) with support from the Korean Federation of Science and Technology Societies (KOFST) and the six other Korean Scientists and Engineers Associations in Europe: Austria (KOSEAA), Belgium (KOSEABe), Finland (KOSES), Netherland (KOSEANL), Scandinavia (KSSEA), and Switzerland (KSEAS). Due to the continuous COVID 19, EKC 2021 will be held on three different locations on different dates (10th October 2021, in Essen, Germany, on 24th October 2021, in Cambridge, UK, and on 31st October 2021, in Paris, France). Korea and Germany, United Kingdom and France are among the world’s top ten countries for Gross domestic Expenditure in R&D (GERD), and the aim of EKC 2021, as with previous EKC meetings, is to bring together Korean scientists and engineers in Europe and Korea working on new and novel frontiers, and of helping European scientists and engineers to form links with Korean nationals. Therefore, this year’s meeting is being promoted under the title: Role of Science, Technology and Innovation for Achieving Sustainability and Global Goals 2030. The primary goals of EKC2021 are the advancement of economic growth, the reduction of disparities in the standard of living, the creation of equal opportunities, and the sustainable management of natural resources that guarantee the preservation of ecosystems and strengthens their resilience. Finally, we would like to thank all sponsors, organizations and members for their significant contributions. I would also like to thank all committee members and volunteers who put their time and energy into preparing the meeting. I believe that our dedicated efforts will contribute to international scientific cooperation and support of the scientific community in Korea and Europe. We look forward to meeting all of you in Essen this year. Dipl.-Ing. Dongwoon Bae Chair of the Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology (EKC) in 2021 (1st day) President of the Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in Germany Dr Sungwoo Lim Chair of the Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology (EKC) in 2021 (2nd day) President of the Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in the UK Dr Junbeum Kim Co-Chair of the Europe-Korea Conference on Science and Technology (EKC) in 2021 (3rd day) President of the Korean Scientists and Engineers Association in France