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
As AI becomes ubiquitous in consumer hardware, KIDP President Yoon Joo Kang plans to take the flagship "Design Korea" exhibition overseas starting next year.
BERLIN, GERMANY, September 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — During IFA 2026 in Berlin, the Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP) made a strategic announcement: with artificial intelligence (AI) evening out the technical differences throughout consumer electronics, industrial and user-experience design has once again become the central factor in global market competition.
Speaking on the Messe Berlin exhibition floor, KIDP President Yoon Joo Kang stressed that while major technology firms led the previous decade through raw performance metrics, the widespread integration of AI is turning technology into a basic, standard foundation.
"Consumers don't need to know AI coding; what matters is how AI enhances human happiness," said President Kang. "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."
Korean Designers Behind Global Tech Giants
The move toward a market driven by design is already visible in commercial demand. Through the Design Trade Mission program—led by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and KIDP—South Korean industrial design firms have landed high-value contracts with major global corporations, including Chinese consumer electronics leaders Xiaomi and Haier.
Four specialized design consultancies—BDCI, Second White, intenxiv, and ABOVE—represented this service-export effort at IFA 2026, engaging directly with European companies and startups during the B2B networking event “Korean Design Meets Berlin: Built for Real Life.”
Design Korea to Expand Internationally Next Year
To reinforce worldwide recognition of Korean design intellectual property, President Kang revealed that KIDP will take its premiere domestic exhibition, Design Korea, to international venues beginning next year.
The initiative will tour key global markets using an integrated approach that combines products, manufacturing firms, and design agencies via trade shows, independent showcases, and roadshows. After IFA 2026, the delegation will extend its outreach to Maison & Objet in Paris and the Canton Fair in Guangzhou, supported by post-exhibition legal, export, and contract-negotiation assistance.
President Kang also urged for a unified national branding approach across government entities: "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 Pavillion
The philosophy of prioritizing human utility over raw technical specs was exhibited throughout 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-oriented applications of advanced technology:
* DH Global: A 150-liter compact kimchi refrigerator designed for single-person households and boutique hospitality spaces.
* FRT Robotics: The Step-Up Neo unpowered, ergonomic soft exogear, designed to alleviate lumbar strain in industrial worksites without motors or batteries.
* EFLOW: The HyDee portable hydrogen fuel cell generator, delivering zero-emission power on demand.
* U2 System: The Purisoo Plus, an all-in-one portable water purification bottle.
Additional exhibitors included EKLER (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).
"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,'" 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). Founded to advance national industrial competitiveness, KIDP supports design research, global service exports, design-driven manufacturing innovation, and the incubation of specialized design talent.
Nara Suh
Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP)
+82 31-780-2227
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