South Korean IT solutions and services provider 3K Group has opened a research center to further its research and business in AI, big data and blockchain.

According to the company, the “3K AI Center,” a four story building located in Jamsil, southeastern Seoul, will play a key role in leading the company’s research and development.

“The AI center is a stepping stone for enhancing efficiency in R&D between the group’s subsidiaries and their partners, and accelerating advanced research and turning ideas into business opportunities,” said 3K Group CEO Kim Young-root, adding that the new center will hire young and promising candidates fit for the job.

“People with global talents and creative, comprehensive thinking skills are the driving force of the country’s future. We will train the best, who will assist unicorn companies and be of service to the country,” Kim said.

The company has already seen progress in R&D by combining its “AutoXML” technology with blockchain security, big data and AI.

AutoXML enables fast storage and process of text data in XML, a type of computer language.

Since the AutoXML is decentralized in nature, it is an optimal technology for blockchain, the company said. It can be safe from personal data hacking or data forgery.

The launch of the new AI center is a part of the company’s strategy to create a “decentralized World Wide Blockchain Web” in the future.

It is already providing its technology to blockchain companies like AMAXG, a South Korean Blockchain research company, as part of moves to accelerate blockchain commercialization, the company said.

As for big data, AutoXML gives light to innovative methodologies of using text data.

“Existing methodologies fail to analyze unstructured data such as PDF, Microsoft Word and PowerPoint (documents). But AutoXML adopts methodologies that store such data as machine learning meta data that can be read and analyzed by machines,” a 3K Group official said.

Even though XML has failed to be commercialized due to its lack of practicality and accessibility, AutoXML has paved a way for commercialization of the text language, the company said.

“Unlike the current system where users have to buy software from Microsoft, Adobe or Autodesk, AutoXML users can view their text files in the web without any additional cost,” 3K Group said.

3K also suggests AutoXML as an alternative international standard language to HTML, the widely used language for coding websites .

“Take an example from Adobe shutting down its Flash service due to the rise of HTML5. The power of the ‘international standard’ is crucial. Since AutoXML is equipped to process the endlessly growing big data, it sheds light to the IT industry in data technology,” the company said.

AutoXML can be the core technology used in the World Wide Web Consortium, an international organization that develops web standards, in the 350 fields such as finance, e-content, law, news, e-commerce, education, manufacturing, medical and internet.

Its technology has been valued at as much as 1 trillion won ($864 million), the company said, quoting industry experts.

Jaime Carbonell, language technology expert and professor of Carnegie Mellon University, once mentioned that 3K Group has brought a shift from HTML to XML. He said AutoXML enables document and video program languages to be directly transformed to XML, unlike Microsoft or Oracle programs that need separate applications. Automatic data and language transformation, and efficiency of the technology show a high growth potential for the company, he added.