![[메인비즈협회 선정, ‘이달의 혁신기업인’] Interview with Lee Gyeong-il, CEO of Robot & Com: ZUM News](https://thumb.zumst.com/400x250/https://static.news.zumst.com/images/18/2024/11/11/45d3e2e0e79a4c0daaaaf5d0f1fda134.jpg "[메인비즈협회 선정, ‘이달의 혁신기업인’] Interview with Lee Gyeong-il, CEO of Robot & Com: ZUM News")
Robot & Com, which has been providing ‘all IT solutions needed for hospitals’, has embarked on a new transformation. A new field of challenge beyond medical IT solution companies is the global ‘SaaS-based healthcare platform’. SaaS (Software as a Service) refers to software as a service. This means that Robot & Com is transforming from an IT hardware company to a software company. Until now, we have only provided IT solutions to hospitals, our main customers, but in the future, we will also provide software solutions. For this purpose, a platform called ‘NAAFAA’ was established.
The Main Biz Association (Korea Management Innovation Small and Medium Business Association) selected Lee Kyung-il, CEO of Robot & Com, as the ‘Innovative Entrepreneur of the Month’. The Main Biz Association (Chairman Kim Myeong-jin) introduced a new ‘Innovative Entrepreneur Promotion Program’ starting in July of this year with the purpose of enhancing management innovation and global competitiveness of domestic small and medium-sized businesses.
CEO Kyung-il Lee expresses his ambition to integrate various IT solutions needed in hospitals into one through a global healthcare platform called ‘Naapa’ and to actively attract overseas patients. Where does CEO Lee’s confidence come from?
-The ‘NAAFAA’ platform is attracting attention in the medical healthcare market. What benefits can it provide to patients?
CEO Lee: Patients will be able to select and use hospitals anywhere in the world as long as they have their medical information. It becomes possible to use the hospital conveniently not only domestically but also overseas. The same goes for overseas patients. In addition to making hospital reservations, you can also use your medical records at domestic hospitals. The reason why this is possible is because the ‘Naapa’ platform was created based on SaaS (Software as a Service).
-What are the benefits of using the ‘Naapa’ platform from a hospital’s perspective?
Representative Lee: There are two benefits. One is work efficiency. Including medical records, devices, electronic prescriptions, and pharmaceutical solutions belonging to Electronic Medical Records (EMR), treatment and prescriptions, reservation management, and medical administration tasks can be solved in one integrated platform. We can literally provide one-stop medical services to patients. Another thing is attracting new customers. As patients visit the hospital through the ‘Get Better’ app, the number of new patients will increase. Above all, I think the biggest attraction is that we can attract overseas patients.
-For the ‘Naapa’ platform to function properly, the ‘Medical My Data’ business must be established.
Representative Lee: That’s right. The reality is that the medical my data business has not yet established itself. However, since patients have the right to request the transmission of personal medical data and ownership of medical information lies with patients, the medical my data business will soon become a reality. Currently, not only general hospitals but also university general hospitals are participating in the ‘Health Information Highway (formerly My Healthway Platform)’ promoted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Currently, about 860 hospitals have joined the ‘Health Information Highway’, a medical my data brokerage platform. Here, individuals can collect their medical treatment, medication, and health checkup history in one place through the ‘My Health Record’ app.
-Even if institutional obstacles are resolved, I think it will be important to secure customers who use the hospital.
CEO Lee: Customer acquisition will focus on hospitals, not general individuals. There are a total of 1,500 hospitals that have done business with us, and if we attract patients from these hospitals, we can provide medical services to 5 million people. We expect that over 1,000 hospitals will join the ‘Naapa’ platform by next year.
-What gives you confidence in attracting overseas patients?
Representative Lee: Through the ‘Naapa’ app, you can search for domestic hospitals and make reservations. You can also make payments easily. Using ‘Text Pay’, which we developed, you can make payments just by sending a text message. It was first introduced last year and is currently being used in five hospitals. The number of overseas patients entering Korea this year is expected to reach 300,000. The government aims to attract 700,000 people. When an overseas patient makes a hospital reservation through the ‘Naapa’ app, the hospital can provide most medical services through the SaaS-based ‘Naapa’ platform. We are also developing an ‘AI pill identification’ app through collaboration with Seoul National University’s College of Engineering. If you want to know the efficacy of medicine at home, the goal is to enable automatic identification through a mobile app. This will also be a useful feature in hospitals. By using the ‘Naapa’ platform equipped with AI pill identification function, AI can inform patients of the medications they are taking without having to check them individually.
-I am curious about the core competencies that have enabled you to establish yourself as a medical IT solution company, claiming to provide ‘all IT solutions needed for hospitals.’
CEO Lee: Before we entered this field, the proportion of large SI companies was high. However, currently, about 60% of hospitals located in Gangnam, Seoul are using our company’s IT solutions. The number of hospitals that have opened with the help of our IT solutions reaches 570. IT solutions were also exported to hospitals in Vietnam and Ethiopia. It is safe to say that hospitals are IT companies. Electronic medical records (EMR) alone consist of medical devices and equipment, medical records, electronic prescriptions, pharmaceutical solutions, etc., and in relation to medical treatment, IT systems are required for patient management, database management, insurance claims, etc. do. In addition, the call center required for reservation work cannot be installed without an IT system. Our company’s competitive edge is that we can provide an ‘all-in-one service’ that consistently supports all of these systems.
-I heard that you are also very interested in ESG management.
CEO Lee: People around us give us that kind of evaluation because of the ‘Woodpecker’ app we were commissioned to develop. The goal is to solve all problems related to repair of various products across industries and products through the ‘Woodpecker’ app. I got into this field because I thought it would help protect the environment if I repaired and used it instead of buying new products. First, we are focusing on building a platform that connects those who want to repair IT hardware with the craftsmen who will fix it.
◆ ‘Who is Lee Gyeong-il, CEO of Robot & Com, the innovative company of the month? CEO Kyung-il Lee dreams of becoming a global healthcare company. How can Robot & Com, founded in 2018, grow into a global company in the future? “Our country’s medical technology is world-class. However, if the institutional aspects are supplemented and overcome, the growth potential is endless. “If the ongoing ‘Medical My Data Project’ is properly established and the era of 1 million foreign patients begins, a global company in the medical field may emerge in Korea as well.”
Robot & Com is transforming from a hardware-centered company to a software-based platform company. AI (artificial intelligence) functions are being incorporated into the ‘NAAFAA’ platform, which connects patients and hospitals in an Internet environment.
CEO Lee has been involved in hospital IT-related business since before the company was founded. It dates back to 2007. “While participating in IT design work at KIST (Korea Institute of Science and Technology), I learned that IT elements in medicine are important. “As we provided IT solutions to hospitals, word of mouth spread in the industry.” DA Plastic Surgery is the hospital we established a relationship with at this time. “At the time, it started with one floor, but now it has 12 floors. “He is a valuable cooperation partner as we have grown together.”
Hospital IT solutions were also exported to Vietnam and Ethiopia. In the early days of the company’s establishment, it also won a project from LG CNS. “Before the coronavirus, there was a coding education project for students hosted by LG CNS, and we solved the problem of the project’s support system.”
Representative Lee is particularly interested in the healthcare sector of the ‘Smart City Project’ being promoted by Indonesia. “Healthcare is an important area in smart city projects. For this to work properly, IT solutions must be able to be integrated into hospitals. “After working in this field for 17 years, I can now see the big picture (laughs).”
Lee Je-kyung, Director of 100 Year Management Research Institute, PhD in Economics
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