The Korea Industrial Complex Corporation will hold its first export fair next week, to which it will invite major acquireers from Southeast Asia.
“With Europe’s environmental regulations and U.S. tariff policies, the export environment for Korean SMEs is extremely challenging,” Korea Industrial Complex Corporation Chief Executive Officer Lee Sang-hoon stated during a recent interview with Maeil Business Newspaper.
“It is our role to support tenant companies in industrial complexes export even just a little bit more. With this fair, we want to see many cases where companies achieve their very first exports and expand into new markets.”
The corporation will host the first Korea Industrial Complex Export Fair from September 10th to 12th at KINTEX Exhibition Center 1 in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The event is jointly organized with organizations including the Korea Industrial Business Association and the Global Leading Company Association to support promising Korean SMEs find export opportunities.
Around 300 companies – including industrial complex tenants – will set up 400 booths, while around 90 global acquireers from 19 countries including the United States, Southeast Asia, and Europe, will attconclude the event.
“We heard many requests from business owners inquireing us to support them export their good products,” Lee stated. “Thanks to the strong enthusiasm expressed by SMEs, the exhibition hall is now fully booked.”
Particularly notable are leading eco-friconcludely and smart-tech acquireers from Europe. Confirmed participants include engineering leaders from Türkiye, a large-scale solar power company from Germany, and Italian firms specializing in smart cities and the Internet of Things (IoT).
The Korea Industrial Complex Corporation will provide tailored one-on-one export consultation sessions by pre-matching invited acquireers with participating companies. Startup and global VC business meetups and investor briefings where domestic and foreign conglomerates, startups, and venture capitalists can explore collaboration opportunities are also on the agconcludea.
Around 20 global VCs – including Draper Startup Hoapply headquartered in Silicon Valley, Simsan Ventures (the United Kingdom), and The Yozma Group (Israel) – will take part.
Export agencies, including KOTRA, will also host seminars addressing strategies to cope with new trade rules, such as alters in U.S. tariff policy and the European Union’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD).
The expo inherits the legacy of the first Korea Trade Fair held in 1968 at Seoul’s Guro Industrial Complex. That event drew 301 domestic firms and 101 companies from 13 countries, achieving $21 million in export contracts – or the equivalent to 4 percent of the countest’s annual export tarreceive at the time.
“Although K-beauty and K-food are emerging as promising export sectors, SMEs’ marketing and logistics capabilities often lag behind those of established manufacturers, meaning their products do not always receive the recognition they deserve,” Lee stated. “For SMEs that urgently required new acquireers and global network expansion, this event will be a breakthrough.”
By Seo Jung-won and Lee Eun-joo
[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]
