The development of the telecoms industry in China & Korea has been shaped, in different ways, by the nature and characteristics of the countries. This presentation will provide top level country overviews, to set the scene for what follows.

Korea was one of the first countries worldwide to issue 3G licenses, with China rolling out 3G, but still yet to issue licences. This presentation will succinctly summarise recent development of the telecom industry in these two countries.

At the time of the 2004 industry mission, Korea had just published its IT 8-3-9 strategy - 8 new services, 3 new infrastructures and 9 economic growth engines - a detailed plan for public and private investment over the timeframe 2002 - 2007. The March 2007 mission team had an opportunity to see first hand the progress made in WiBro, DMB, WCDMA and 4G, meeting with research teams from the leading Korean manufacturers and operators (fixed and wired). The presentation will provide an update on these topics, as well as providing an overall assessment of the progress to date of the IT 8-3-9 implementation.

At the time of the 2004 industry mission, China was thought to be about to issue 3G licences - something which 3 years later is still to happen. However, much has happened in China in that time, with recent Government announcements regarding 3G technologies and large commercial contracts placed for TD-SCDMA infrastructure. Mobile TV and WiMAX have also not been ignored in China, and this presentation will also provide an update on these topics, as well as assessing the impact of Government policies on the industry.

The role of Universities and their relationships with Industry are an important element in the development of the industry in China and Korea, from perspectives of Government policy in regard to Industry support, research (particularly relating to 4G) and in terms of the need to supply trained engineers to a rapidly growing industry. This presentation will cover these issues, also including a status update on 4G in both countries.

This presentation will include an assessment and conclusions in regard to the development of the telecom industry in these countries. The UK has huge cultural and other differences from Asia; whilst policies cannot be simply transferred 8000 miles, there are relevant lessons to be learned and new approaches to be proposed. "Appropriate" policies and actions will be those which leverage the UK's existing strengths, harness the growing awareness amongst Government departments and build upon recent positive developments in the innovation landscape in the UK. Such approaches have the potential to create positive economic impact, as has been achieved in these other nations.

Open Q & A from the audience.