Stony Brook University SUNY Korea

On November 6, 2024, SUNY Korea hosted a Distinguished Seminar by Mr. Horyun Jung, Director of General Motors Technical Center Korea Operations, where he led an informative discourse on virtual technology and its influence on product development and future prospects. The seminar took place in Academic Building C105, with students and faculty interested in the changing face of technology in business and engineering attending.

Mr. Jung received his MBA from Seoul National University and BS in Product Design from Handong Global University. He has accumulated work experience for more than 20 years in General Motors while climbing the career ladder in engineering and design development. That foundational experience helped bring into focus the core of the seminar: how technological commercialization—namely, the use of virtual tools—is now shaking up industries. He provided examples from the automobile industry on how virtual technology improves efficiency and accelerates innovation in product development.

The examples given during the seminar on crucial technologies, especially in the auto sector, where digital tools fast-track operations from design to production, were highly enlightening. Mr. Jung explained that virtual tools give the potential to make changes in real time, at a lower cost, and hence improve development. This helped the attendees understand the growing importance of such tools in the global quest for efficiency in product innovation.

He also identified the skills and competencies required by the professionals of the future, given anticipated changes in technology and business practices, sharing with the students many gems on how to prepare for careers that would require adaptability, technical savvy, and awareness of virtual technologies.

Overall, the seminar was a great opportunity for SUNY Korea students to gain insight into industry trends from a leading source in the field, allowing the attendees to see how technological advancement shapes the future of product development, and leaving them better prepared to meet the challenges in a rapidly changing job market.

Written by Student Reporter, Moldir Salim
(moldir.salim@stonybrook.edu)