NAVER : Team NAVER Partners with K-water to Develop the Digital Twin Service Based on Water Management Solutions

Team NAVER Partners with K-water to Develop the Digital Twin Service Based on Water Management Solutions

- NAVER Cloud, NAVER LABS, and K-water signed an MOU to expand the application of digital twin technology to water management

May 24, 2023

NAVER Cloud (CEO Kim Yoo-won) and NAVER LABS (CEO Seok Sang-ok) are collaborating with the Korea Water Resources Corporation (Vice President Jeong Gyeong-yoon, hereinafter K-water) to develop a digital twin service based on a water management platform. The digital twin technology creates a virtual model that replicates real-world weather phenomena or objects, and the simulations support real-life decision-making through analyses, forecasts, and optimization based on various data.

(from left) Seok Sang-ok(CEO of NAVER LABS), Jeong Gyeong-yoon(Vice president of K-Water), Seon-ju Chae (President of NAVER's ESG and External Policy) and Kim Yoo-won(CEO of NAVER Cloud)

The three companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on May 24 at NAVER 1784 to expand the application of digital twin technology to water management. They plan to share their expertise and knowledge in their respective fields to expand business opportunities in Korea and overseas.

To this end, NAVER LABS will utilize its native AI-based digital twin development solution, "ALIKE." Using 3D models, ALIKE will enable virtual simulations in environments identical to real cities, permitting problem analysis and disaster prediction. NAVER Cloud will support the entire process of infrastructure consulting, implementation, and operations for the digital twin technology to ensure its stable operation on the NAVER Cloud platform. K-water will contribute its expertise in water management as Korea's leading water management firm for the past 50 years and its experience developing the digital twin water management platform Digital Garam+, which garnered attention at the 2023 CES held in Las Vegas in January.

Having recently agreed on a partnership with Saudi Arabia for national-level digital transformation based on digital twin technology, NAVER Cloud and NAVER LABS will incorporate cutting-edge IT technology for a more advanced service to analyze and predict disasters, such as floods. Moreover, K-water, as a public institution, will support the overseas expansion of Korean companies in the private sector, which is one of the government's key policies. As such, the partnership is expected to create mutually beneficial cooperation.

Vice President Jeong Gyeong-yoon of K-water said, "Increased cases of heavy rain resulting from climate change indicates that we are at a moment when great transformation for water management is needed. In the Fourth Industrial Revolution, K-water plans to actively utilize the digital twin technology and other advanced technologies for water management further to protect the valuable citizens' lives and properties."

Han Sang-young, Executive Director at NAVER Cloud Strategy and Planning, said, "The AI technology and various services owned by Team NAVER are already being provided to numerous customers through the NAVER Cloud platform." The three companies will cooperate in developing the water management platform and incorporating it into constructing cloud-based smart cities."

Peck Jong-yoon from NAVER LABS said, "We are continuously presented with proposals for collaboration and measures to utilize the digital twin technology. In addition to cooperating with K-water, we will make efforts to promote and expand world-class IT technology globally with various partners, including startups."

-END-