On September 22nd, local time, the Korean financial news outlet 'Korea Financial News' noted that LS Group, South Korea's leading automation and electrical company, is expanding its technology learning destinations from the United States to China. Previously, employee incentive programs focused on visiting the CES consumer electronics exhibition in the US, but now these destinations have been extended to high-tech cities in China. Korean media reported that this move serves both LS Group's AI strategy and reflects a pragmatic approach: by traveling directly to China, employees can gain firsthand knowledge of China's development in areas such as physical AI, automation, and supply chain ecosystems.
Public information shows that LS Group was established in 2003. It is a large multinational enterprise group in South Korea, originally part of the LG Group. Its business covers the fields of electricity and communications. The company produces electrical equipment such as power cables, communication cables, switchgear, transformers, and electrical measuring devices.
According to reports, LS Group held its fifth ‘Future Day’ event this month, with the theme of ‘Moving from AI Exploration to Creating Business Results’. The event featured the sharing of outstanding technological innovations within the group. Employees who were recognized for their excellent projects will receive rewards of being allowed to visit relevant Chinese cities next year for on-site learning from local enterprises.
LS Group Chairman Zhu Zhiyin, at an event, called for the use of AI to boost production efficiency and integrating it into products and services. He urged employees "to look at China." In January this year, Zhu was part of a delegation led by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol's economic envoy, during which he revealed he is using Chinese electric vehicles, praising “the better the Chinese products are.”
According to Korean media, in the previous four events, LS Group rewarded outstanding employees with trips to CES, which is held in Las Vegas, USA every January. This is the first time that China has been listed as a destination for technical learning by LS Group. The report states that this aligns with the group’s AI strategy: attending CES focuses on understanding global AI trends and keeping up with cutting-edge technologies; while visits to China focus on gaining practical knowledge of technologies that can be immediately applied in business, emphasizing "practical benchmark learning."
This time, China will be designated as a new destination for learning. The reason is that China has demonstrated unique advantages in the commercialization of AI manufacturing. Currently, China ranks among the global leaders in physical AI, factory automation, supply chain construction speed, and price competitiveness across multiple aspects.
According to data from global market research firm Markets and Markets, the physical AI market in China is growing at a rate of 50.7% per year. Korean media noted that while the United States leads the AI ecosystem centered around large language models and software, China is advancing the commercialization of physical AI, which combines AI with factories, robots, and power infrastructure, at the fastest pace globally. For LS, which relies on traditional manufacturing industries such as power equipment, cables, and materials, Chinese smart industry cities are living examples that can be immediately transferred to its own factories and turned into products.
Lianhe Group related personnel stated: “The group recognizes the necessity to learn from advanced strategies in fields such as robotics and power generation in developed China.”
