NI, which used to be like a college lab, has become a 'real company.'

The reasons for the change, as explained by Korea NI CEO Jeong Gu-hwan, and the direction of 'NI Days Korea 2026' on April 10th.

"In the past, NI felt like a university lab. Now, it feels like a real company, working within a systemic framework."

This single sentence from NI Korea CEO Jeong Gu-hwan goes beyond a simple discussion of organizational culture and reveals "where the test and measurement industry is headed." Since its founding in 1994, NI Korea has provided measurement solutions to diverse industries, including semiconductors, communications, mobility, and aerospace. In 2026, NI will celebrate its 50th anniversary, and LabVIEW will celebrate its 40th anniversary.

CEO Jeong began the interview by introducing himself, explaining that he had worked in the measuring instrument industry for over 20 years and had assumed the position of CEO of NI Korea in October 2025. The question naturally shifted from "NI from a competitor's perspective" to "NI today." He emphasized one key point. It has changed from a company that 'makes and releases' to a company that 'designs based on customer feedback.'

From “the fun times” to “the times when systems were needed”

CEO Jeong recalled the past as a time when "product development was free and we could provide customers with solutions they wanted relatively easily." He explained that the atmosphere prioritized "fun products, good products" over growth and margins. However, that freedom left behind other problems. Systematization was lacking, and industrial customers increasingly demanded reliability, sustainability, and scalability.

This pressure for change has accelerated since 2010, leading to the diagnosis that customers are diversifying their product offerings, reducing project times, and demanding both automated productivity and testing time. "One-box hardware" alone has become insufficient, leading to the emergence of the term "software-centric instrumentation."

A Modular Approach: Addressing the Need for Changeability

NI's direction, as outlined by CEO Jeong, is a "configurable test system." This means combining modular hardware (e.g., PXI) and software (e.g., LabVIEW) to enable expansion and modification as requirements evolve. He emphasized that, particularly in the semiconductor industry, "test time is everything," and the ability to measure multiple DUTs (devices under test) in parallel is key to competitiveness. At this point, the explanation comes out that “because it is a modular type, it has strengths in parallel measurement.”

Representative Jeong cited three key application industries: semiconductors and communications, mobility (especially batteries), and aerospace and defense. Regarding the aerospace and defense sectors, he stated that with the growing demand for digitalization and open platforms, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and FPGA-based testing, which simulate the proper operation of weapons and aircraft systems, have become increasingly important.

The question isn't "Will AI replace engineers?" but "Will it increase their workload from two to five?"

The second half of the interview shifts to "How AI is Transforming Test Development." The keyword mentioned by CEO Jeong is NI Nigel™ AI. He explains, "Previously, LabVIEW users had to call customer service or consult documentation to check commands, connected devices, and code quality while writing code." In contrast, Nigel AI, when utilized in LabVIEW, provides guidance like a real-time advisor, and is evolving to support code generation.

CEO Jeong described AI's role as closer to "amplification" rather than "replacement." The logic is that when software engineers can handle a limited number of projects simultaneously, AI can alleviate repetitive tasks, allowing them to tackle more projects simultaneously. However, since the generated code is never perfect, final review and optimization remain the domain of engineers. The statement that “AI is changing the role of engineers” becomes persuasive in the context of the interview.

Data Hub: "We have hundreds of devices, and we don't know who calibrated them or when."

If AI transforms development, data transforms operations. The examples CEO Jeong cited as "field problems" are familiar. As measuring equipment grows into the hundreds or thousands, asset management, calibration history, and usage rates become less properly tracked. Yet, investment decisions always begin with the question, "Are we really using a lot?"

The solution he mentioned is SystemLink. He describes it as an "operations platform" that centralizes distributed test assets, manages calibration data and asset information, and visualizes status through a dashboard.
In other words, it points out the trend of the ability to 'operate' tests, rather than just the performance of the tests themselves, emerging as a competitive advantage.

And on April 10th, the message will be completed as an 'experience' at the event.

There's a reason these stories don't end in interviews. CEO Jeong described the upcoming NI Days Korea 2026 as "a platform to deliver a message about technologies that are hot topics in the industry." This year's event will be held in Seoul on April 10, 2026, and sessions will be organized around industry tracks such as semiconductors, mobility, and defense/aerospace. It also mentioned plans to offer hands-on experience and hands-on training through approximately 40 booths.

CEO Jeong's final statement was, "Test and measurement is not simply a technology; it's a core tool for industrial innovation." He added that these tools are currently being redefined through the keywords software, AI, and data management. His description of NI's transformation from a "university lab-like company" to a "system-based company" could be interpreted as a reflection of the already significant complexity of its customer industries.