Exploring New Technologies with Idea Trading Platform ‘IdeaRO’
LG Electronics is collaborating with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) to discover consumer experiences aimed at improving accessibility for home appliances.
On the 28th, LG Electronics announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the KIPO to enhance accessibility for home appliances used by people with disabilities, at their headquarters in the LG Twin Towers, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Notable attendees at the signing ceremony included Mok Seongho, Deputy Commissioner of KIPO, Jo Huijae, Vice President and Head of the IP Center of LG Electronics, and Yoon Dae-sik, Head of External Cooperation.
The two organizations plan to use the Idea Trading Platform ‘IdeaRO’, under the Korea Invention Promotion Association, to identify ideas for improving appliance accessibility, while simultaneously raising social awareness about the importance of accessibility for people with disabilities.
In particular, LG Electronics, in collaboration with the KIPO and the Korea Invention Promotion Association, will host an idea contest focused on enhancing accessibility for home appliance usage by people with disabilities. The contest aims to gather ideas for new assistive accessories, such as the ‘LG Comfort Kit’, which would help individuals use products more easily regardless of gender, age, or disability status. This effort is part of an initiative to incorporate diverse customer feedback into product development to enhance customer value.
Individuals or teams interested in participating in the contest can submit their ideas for improving home appliance accessibility to ‘IdeaRO’ by the 28th of next month. Submitted ideas will undergo a rigorous evaluation process assessing the technical feasibility, problem-solving potential, practical applicability, and novelty before selecting the finalists.
LG Electronics plans to consider purchasing the ideas selected in this contest for potential application in real products and services. Additionally, they will support the participation of ‘Bold Move’, LG’s home appliance accessibility improvement community, in the idea development process to ensure the voices of customers with disabilities are heard.
Under its ESG vision of ‘Better Life for All’, LG Electronics prioritizes ‘Diversity & Inclusion’ as one of its six strategic tasks, ensuring the perspectives and voices of customers with disabilities are considered in their products and services.
Beyond ‘Bold Move’, LG Electronics operates a consulting group consisting of customers with disabilities and accessibility experts. They also pursue accessibility enhancement activities, such as the ‘LG for All & All for LG’ campaign, which introduces product and service usage methods through videos for disabled and senior customers, and the ‘Appliance School Project’, which provides easy-read books for children and youth with developmental disabilities to safely use products.
Jo Huijae, Vice President and Head of LG Electronics’ IP Center, stated, “Working with the KIPO, we aim to discover innovative home appliance accessibility improvement ideas and evolve them into products and services that help everyone conveniently use appliances, maximizing customer value.”