PROGRAMME

Complex Systems, Imperfect Agents: Building Systems with AI at Scale MR. TALAGRAND, Eugene Microsoft Eugene Talagrand is a Principal Engineer on Microsoft's Core AI Future of Scalable Software Engineering team, building agentic tooling to accelerate software development and translation to Rust. Previously, he led Microsoft's Fundamentals Deployment Solutions team in Windows and Azure, delivering Windows Copilot experiences to end users. Over nearly 20 years at Microsoft, he drove core technical direction for major product bring-ups, including HoloLens and Windows Phone, and scaled Windows from embedded devices to the cloud. He is an alumnus of The Ohio State University.

Q+AI for decision making PROF. CHOI, In-chan Korea University Professor In-Chan Choi is Professor Emeritus in the School of Industrial Management Engineering at Korea University, where he served on the faculty from 1996 to 2025. He received his Ph.D. in Operations Research from Columbia University, New York. His research interests are in mathematical programming, computational optimization, machine learning, and data mining. He has published numerous papers in leading journals, including Math Prog, Applied Soft Computing, and European J of OR. He also has led many research projects funded by the NRF of Korea and by industrial partners such as Samsung, Hyundai, and LG. Over the past decade, his research has focused on quantum optimization and quantum machine learning. He launched one of Korea's earliest research programs on quantum computing–based optimization in 2017 and founded the Quantum Machine Learning Laboratory in 2019. His work aims to integrate classical optimization methodologies with quantum computing to develop efficient and practical quantum hybrid algorithms for solving complex decision-making problems.

Quantum Machine Learning: Theory and Practice in Action DR. MELNIKOV, Alexey Terra Quantum Alexey Melnikov is the Global Director of AI at Terra Quantum AG, a full-stack quantum technology company in St. Gallen, Switzerland, where he leads its applied quantum-machine-learning programme. He obtained his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Innsbruck, Austria, in 2018, working at the intersection of physics and machine learning, including quantum machine learning. He then held postdoctoral positions at the University of Innsbruck (2018–2019) and the University of Basel, Switzerland (2019–2020), and served as a Visiting Assistant Professor at National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, Taiwan. In 2019, Alexey and his co-authors received the prestigious Cozzarelli Prize of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA for the best scientific work of 2018 in the Physical and Mathematical Sciences. In recognition of his standing in the field, he was appointed in 2025 a Commissioner of the von Neumann Commission — an independent international commission of leaders from industry, government and academia, that examines how quantum computing can accelerate artificial intelligence and shape grand strategy in the 21st century. Since 2020 at Terra Quantum, he has built and led a team developing hybrid quantum neural-network software, with peer-reviewed applications spanning oncology drug-response prediction (Cancers, 2023), image classification (Machine Learning: Science and Technology, 2024), satellite mission planning (IEEE JSTARS, 2023), power-plant flow forecasting (Engineering Applications of Artificial Intelligence, 2025) and computational fluid dynamics (Machine Learning: Science and Technology, 2024). He has authored more than 50 research papers and several granted patents, and has delivered over 30 invited and contributed talks worldwide.

Quantum simulation of exotic matter with ultracold atoms PROF. SANCHEZ-PALENCIA, Laurent Center for Theoretical Physics, Ecole Polytechnique Laurent Sanchez-Palencia is a CNRS Research Director at the Center for Theoretical Physics and a Professor of Quantum Physics at Ecole Polytechnique. He graduated from Ecole Polytechnique (1999) and he obtained a Master in Quantum Physics at Ecole Normale Supérieure (2000) as well as a PhD in Quantum Physics at Laboratoire Kastler-Brossel (2003). After a post-doc at the Institute for Theoretical Physics of Hannover (2003-2004), he worked at Institut d'Optique for a dozen years (2004-2016) before joining the Center for Theoretical Physics in 2016. He leads the Quantum Matter group that he founded in 2006. His research interests are the theory of correlated quantum matter, quantum simulation, synthetic quantum matter, and ultracold quantum gases. His work on the theory of quantum gases has been recognized by a Humboldt fellowship (2003), the PhD prize in physics from Ecole Polytechnique (2004), an ANR young researcher grant (2010), a European Research Council award (2011), and the Leconte prize of the French Academy of Sciences (2012). At Ecole Polytechnique, he teaches Quantum Optics and Quantum Information. He also served as a Deputy Director of the Quantum-Saclay centre (joint research center for quantum science and technologies of Université Paris-Saclay and Institut Polytechnique de Paris) and was in charge of the quantum strategy at Institut Polytechnique de Paris from 2021 to 2026. Since 2025, he serves as President of the Physics Department of Ecole Polytechnique and Institut Polytechnique de Paris.

Profiling of liquid samples using deep learning analysis results of microwave spectrum DR. HONG, Hyobong ETRI (Electronics and Telecommunications Research Inst) Dr. Hong is currently a principal researcher and the overall project manager for the next-generation medical imaging project (ETRI, Korea). He served as a principal researcher at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT, Korea) and part leader of the analysis department of Samsung Electronics' LCD division. He also served as a technical leader on organic analysis at ISO/IEC TC 111 and as an advisory member of the National Science and Technology Committee (Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy and Ministry of Environment, Korea). He was in charge of overseas affairs at Daewoong Pharmaceuticall,Korea and was in charge of CTO and technical advisory at three startup companies. His academic interests include mass analysis of organic substances and the development of analytical and imaging equipment using iron oxide nanoparticles. He is also studying the origin of signals that occur when magnetic particles with unique properties, such as iron oxide particles, are exposed to various types of magnetic fields.

An Overview of RDA, Korea DR. KIM, Nam Jung Rural Development Administration Nam Jung Kim is currently the Director General of the Department of Agricultural Biology at the National Institute of Agricultural Sciences (NAS), Rural Development Administration (RDA). She previously conducted research on insect resources and high-value-added biological materials, and later served as Head of the Agricultural Microbiology Division to advance crop-growth microbial technologies. As the former Director General of the Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, she served as the Chair of the APEC High-Level Policy Dialogue on Agricultural Biotechnology (HLPDAB), leading global discussions on AI-driven biotechnology, new breeding techniques, and international regulatory harmonisation. Furthermore, she spearheaded international cooperation with Uruguay by establishing the Korea-Uruguay Agricultural Biotechnology Cooperation Laboratory at LATU to build an overseas research and commercial base for expanding into the South American market. Currently, she serves as the chief executive responsible for the national management of agricultural microbial and insect resources, and increasing farm income through the industrialization of biological materials.

Project Introduction: Challenge-Driven Innovative R&D in Space Medicine DR. KIM, Jaeuk PM / K-Health MIRAE Initiative Dr. Jaeuk U. Kim is Program Manager for the Biohealth Mission at the K-Health MIRAE Initiative — Korea's ARPA-H analogue hosted at the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) — where he oversees a KRW 68.9 billion portfolio of mission-driven, high-risk/high-impact biohealth R&D programs. A physicist by training, he holds a Ph.D. from the University of Gothenburg (Sweden) and conducted postdoctoral research at POSTECH and KAIST. He previously spent 16 years at the Korea Institute of Oriental Medicine (KIOM), leading AI- and biosignal-driven research in neuroscience, digital health, and cognitive medicine. He currently serves on multiple national committees including the MFDS Medical Device Committee and Expert Review Committe of National R&D Evaluation in the Ministry of Science and ICT.

Project Introduction: Current Developments in Quantum Technology for Biomedicine and Healthcare DR. LEE, Chang-bog PM / K-Health MIRAE Initiative Chang-Bog Lee is a Program Manager of the K-Health MIRAE Initiative, leading disruptive biohealth R&D programs designed to address national public health challenges. With more than 30 years of experience at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT), he contributed to the development of digital technologies, including DVD-R and digital printers, while driving organizational innovation through research productivity systems, matrix-based talent management, and the establishment of Samsung's Fellow and Master programs. As Head of the ICT Program for the Samsung Science & Technology Foundation Program, launched in 2013, he managed the selection of approximately 250 research projects and oversaw more than $200 million in research funding. Under his leadership, the program became one of Korea's most prestigious and competitive research funding initiatives. His expertise spans technology innovation, R&D strategy, talent development, research portfolio management, and mission-driven programs for disruptive healthcare innovation.

Ingredients for large scale semiconductor quantum computers PROF. BLUHM, Hendric Jülich/RWTH Prof. Hendrik Bluhm received his PhD from Stanford University in 2008, followed by postdoctoral work at Harvard University. Since 2011, he leads the Institute for Quantum Information at RWTH Aachen University as well as a second branch of the same institute at Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH since 2016. He is also a co-founder and scientific director of ARQUE Systems GmbH, a spinoff aiming to commercialize semiconductor based quantum computers and related technology. His main research mission is to advance the scalability of semiconductor qubits to large-scale error corrected quantum computing systems. This includes suitable quantum architectures and their enabling components, the development and adoption of industrial semiconductor technology for their realization, automated qubit tuning and high throughput characterization, cryoelectronic control solutions and their integration, as well as supporting modeling and simulation work. Hendrik Bluhm is a co-inventor on a large patent portfolio around a quantum computer architecture based on electron shuttling. One of the key recent research achievements of his group is the pioneering of electron shuttling as a novel connectivity element to enable scalable quantum processor architectures.

The Quantum Leap: De-puzzling and Revolutionizing R&D paradox in Drug Discovery for Future Sustainable Medicine PROF. CHEONG, Jaeho Yonsei University Jae-Ho Cheong is a Professor of Surgery at Yonsei University College of Medicine, where his clinical and research work centers on precision oncology. He has authored approximately 300 peer-reviewed (SCI) publications (h-index ~72) and developed a multi-omics gastric cancer platform of about 900 samples with more than 70 patient-derived xenograft and organoid models. He is currently appointed as Senior Vice President, Office of Yonsei Science Park Project and Dean, Institute for Convergence Research and Education in Advanced Technology at Yonsei University. He is the Founding Director of the Yonsei Quantum Initiative at Yonsei University, pioneering the convergence of quantum computing and biomedical research in Korea. He has led the introduction of Korea's first quantum computer (IBM Quantum System One) — the country's first gate-based quantum computer — and is spearheading efforts to build a hybrid quantum-classical computing infrastructure linking it with RIKEN's Fugaku supercomputer. He leads the K-ARPA-H Q-Drug X national quantum drug discovery program and is the author of a popular-science book on quantum biology, working at the interface of quantum science, AI, and clinical medicine. His honors include a Presidential Commendation for contributions to the health industry (2019), the Yuhan Medical Award Grand Prize (2019), and the Wunsch Medical Award (2022).