Reported by Seunghee Yoon, KSEA VT Southern Chapter
Event Guest: Dr. Yunil Hwang, CEO of CJ CheilJedang America
On October 2, 2024, KSEA at Virginia Tech hosted a lecture featuring Dr. Yunil
Hwang, CEO of CJ AMERICA. The talk provided valuable career insights for
engineering students, particularly those interested in emerging technologies at the
intersection of food science, biology, and engineering.
Dr. Hwang highlighted CJ CheilJedang’s leadership in personalized nutrition,
emphasizing the company’s innovative use of microbiome diagnostics and AI to
create customized food solutions. These solutions cater to diverse consumer groups
such as the elderly, children, and athletes, addressing not only health and lifestyle
needs but also emotional well-being.
CJ’s significant investment—5 trillion won—in its bio-business, particularly in Red
Bio, demonstrates the company’s focus on human health innovations. The company
is also pioneering PHA technology, which leverages bacteria to break down plastic
waste sustainably, with potential applications across healthcare and textiles.
Dr. Hwang drew inspiration from industry leaders like Fujifilm and Tesla, illustrating
how companies repurpose existing technologies for entirely new markets. Fujifilm’s
transition into healthcare and cosmetics and Tesla’s advancements in Full
Self-Driving and supercomputing exemplify how creative applications of existing
technologies can generate demand in new areas.
However, Dr. Hwang also cautioned about the challenges of innovation. He
referenced the failures of companies like Quibi, which collapsed due to high
production costs and lack of consumer demand, and Theranos, whose fraudulent
practices underscored the importance of maintaining both market fit and scientific
credibility.
Dr. Hwang concluded by encouraging students to broaden their perspectives,
advising them to understand how the corporate world interprets and responds to the
changing global landscape. He stressed the importance of learning from both
successful and failed innovations while staying attuned to market demand. Most
critically, he emphasized the need to understand not only what has changed but also
what is on the horizon. By finding personal motivation, gaining a clear sense of self,
and defining a vision for the future, students can confidently navigate their careers
with purpose and clarity.
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