Merck Korea, the Korean unit of the German chemicals giant, shared the company’s solutions for the future semiconductor industry at an academic conference held by Alumninetzwerk Deutschland-Korea, Tuesday.

Under the topic “Unlocking the potential of artificial intelligence and machine learning in semiconductor manufacturing,” Steven Eulig, head of business development for digital solutions at Merck Electronics, delivered a speech on the company’s digital insight.

While the semiconductor industry is going through a rapid change, he underscored sustainable digital transformation as the key to boost competitiveness in the global supply chain.

“The values of AI and machine learning are now soaring, not only in Merck’s businesses, but across all different industries,” said Kim Woo-kyu, the managing director of Merck Korea.

Throughout the speech, Eulig suggested a value chain model dubbed “Smart Data Collaboration” in which chip manufacturers, suppliers and customers transform vast amounts of data into digital forms.

Based on trust and collaboration, the cutting-edge solution will minimize the impact of unpredictability, such as rising tensions in global trade and natural disasters, on the supply chain, he said.

During the conference, the company also introduced its recent report on environment-friendly semiconductor manufacturing by pursuing zero waste, renewable energy and more efficient use of resources.

The conference was held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the 140th anniversary of the establishment of relations between Korea and Germany.