SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won suggested responding to deepening global uncertainties with "design thinking" at the annual Tokyo Forum on Friday.

“Most people think design and business are separate disciplines, but both fundamentally share the characteristic of creating new ventures with limited resources,” the chairman said in his opening speech at the event in Tokyo.

Chey emphasized the importance of design thinking in the business domain, stating, “CEOs must act as designers who optimally allocate limited resources to meet clients' demands and create value.”

He also shared how the group has applied design thinking in shaping its history and business portfolio.

“While incorporating and expanding into new fields has always been a significant challenge, we have successfully managed businesses and generated synergies,” he said.

He highlighted that design thinking is especially crucial for managing complex, synergy-driven ventures such as artificial intelligence businesses that integrate multiple domains.

Chey further stressed the need for design thinking to solve societal issues, such as carbon emission reduction and social inequality.

He noted that encouraging public participation in addressing these challenges requires not only goodwill but incentivized approaches as well.

“To build a sustainable future, we need newer and more creative approaches,” the SK chief said.

The Tokyo Forum, held annually since 2019, is co-hosted by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and the University of Tokyo. This year’s forum runs through Saturday under the theme of “Shape the Future, Design for Tomorrow.”

Alongside Chey, key attendees at this year’s event include Chey Institute Executive Director Kim Yoo-suk, University of Tokyo President Teruo Fujii, and Mizuho Financial Group Senior Advisor Yasuhiro Sato.