KOTRA hosts 'Saudi Water and Waste Roadshow'

On September 21, KOTRA organized the 'Saudi Water and Waste Roadshow' with 11 Saudi government agencies and organizations, including the Ministry of Investment and Neom, at the Swiss Grand Hotel in Seoul. Saudi Arabia is the largest desalination plant market in the world and continues to invest in water treatment infrastructure as its population grows and urbanizes. Daily desalination capacity is expected to reach 620 m3 per day by 2022, a 35% increase in the five years since 2017, and the Saudi Arabian National Water Corporation has $1.3 billion worth of projects underway. The Saudi waste market is aiming to achieve an 85% waste reuse rate by 2035. To this end, the kingdom will begin segregated waste collection this year. The Saudi government and its organizations are very interested in recycling technologies to enhance waste management in sectors such as domestic, industrial, and construction. At the Saudi Water and Waste Roadshow, 11 Saudi government organizations, including the Ministry of Investment, NEOOM, and the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, presented opportunities for companies to participate in Saudi projects. A total of 48 Korean companies and 90 participants attended the event. "We hope that this project will serve as an opportunity for Korean companies to enter the Saudi eco-friendly industry, and we will actively support them to win Saudi eco-friendly projects," said Jeong Daeyoung, Head of KOTRA's Innovation and Growth Division.

K-innovators shine at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023

KOTRA, in collaboration with the Korea Information Technology Research Institute (KITRI), has organized a Korean pavilion at TechCrunch Disrupt, a startup exhibition in San Francisco, US. TechCrunch is the largest startup conference in the United States, held annually since 2011 in major cities with strong startup ecosystems such as San Francisco, New York, and Berlin. The event, held from September 19th to 21st, featured booth exhibitions, industry-specific conferences, pitching contests, and networking events between global companies and startups. The Korean pavilion had 15 companies, the largest among the six countries that participated as country pavilions, including Japan and Belgium. Korean innovators showcased a variety of innovative technologies, including AI-powered financial solutions, in front of more than 10,000 attendees from 130 countries. KOTRA collaborated with POSCO to provide customized IR pitching consulting for VCs and networking receptions for global companies to help participating companies achieve effective results. The networking reception attracted more than 150 attendees from global companies such as Google and JPMorgan Chase, as well as large VCs. "Recently, 'new technology first' has become increasingly important among local global companies and investors, and partnerships with K-innovation companies are in high demand," said Park Sung-ho, Head of KOTRA North America. "We will fully support our innovative companies to leapfrog overseas through partnerships with global companies."