SK Telecom and SK Hynix on Thursday jointly held their first global technology summit at Silicon Valley with about 40 Korean industry experts working in the U.S.

At the event dubbed “Global Tech Leader Summit,” which was presided over by SKT chief executive Ha Sung-min, they discussed the future growth engines in the sectors of telecommunications and semiconductors as well as non-telecommunications, according to SKT officials.

They also shared strategies and technologies valued by the two tech firms, and discussed possible research and development synergy between the firms.

Participants also learned about SKT’s big data and u-healthcare projects that have been commercialized by the nation’s top mobile carrier and are receiving attention in the U.S.

The event was the first that the executives of SKT and its new subsidiary SK Hynix launched together since SKT acquired the chipmaker in February of this year.

From the SK Hynix side, Park Sung-wook, head of research and development at SK Hynix, took part in the summit that brought together technology and industry experts, including professors, working in the field of information communications technology in the U.S.

Some were also scholarship grantees of the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, which is an academic foundation established in 1974 by SK founder Chey Jong-hyon.

“SKT and SK Hynix are playing a pivotal role in each other’s own industry and working to become a company that could lead the ICT sector in Korea and contribute the the country’s development,” said Ha. “We will continuously seek opportunities that promote the exchange of industrial insights with overseas talent.”

By Cho Ji-hyun (sharon@heraldcorp.com)