"The nation's large and small companies should join hands to advance into international environmental market",Yoon Woung-ro, vice chairman of Korea Environmental Industry Association (KEIA) said.
Noting that the overseas environmental market has a great potential to grow in the future for Korean companies, Yoon said, "Big enterprises armed with global networks and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) boasting high-level technology should work together to make inroads into foreign environmental market."
In an interview with Korea IT Times, the vice chairman said, "The environmental industry is a very useful industry for the nation to achieve the creative economy propelled by President Park Geun-hye, as it can increase employment, while preserving environment.
"Moreover, the environmental industry can create more added value when we combine our construction & engineering industry and information technology (IT) & bio technology (BT).
"As a result, I think, large companies and SMEs need to join forces to advance into overseas environmental market and share profits coming from their joint venture business."
Prospects for global environmental market
Asked about the future course of the international environmental market, Yoon said, "In the past, most countries were neglect in making fresh investments in the environmental sector, while focusing their energy on economic growth. As people's demand for high quality of living is becoming higher in the wake of a steady economic growth, however, many countries are becoming active in making investment in the sector these days.
"Moreover, the global society's efforts to tide over pan-global environmental issues, including climate change, continue. Accordingly, I think the prospect for the international environmental market is very bright."
He said that some Korean SMEs are widely known to have equipped with top-notch technology competitiveness.
"However, it is not easy for Korean companies to secure a superior position in the global market as the field of the environmental industry is very wide and diversified. In particular, Korean SMEs are facing serious difficulties in heralding their goods and advanced technology to foreign markets because of insufficient global networks," Yoon said.
KEIA's 2013 projects
Commenting that KEIA has set 2013 as the year to ensure internal stability, rather than expanding its volume, he said, "The association will continuously provide its member companies with valuable information on environment through news clippings, while holding various forums, seminars and workshops.
"Along with this, we will collect member companies' bottleneck problems and request the government to solve such difficulties. At the same time, we will deliver the government's environmental policies to them."
As part of its efforts to help KEIA member companies advance into overseas markets easily, the association is also pushing for various projects this year, including a survey on foreign markets, overseas exhibitions, feasibility study on global markets, dispatch or exchange of environmental experts, the Korea-China-Japan environmental industry round table, and environmental investment conference, he explained.
"For instance, KEIA will hold the Korea-China-Japan environmental industry round table from Oct. 23-25 and an environmental investment conference for promoting and supporting environment SMEs on Oct. 30," said the vice chairman.
It is also pushing ahead with an exchange training project between Korea and Shandong Province of China in June and September and plans to dispatch a Korean mission to promote environmental trade to international environmental exhibitions in Indonesia (July 1-5), China (July 22-26), Vietnam (Oct. 14-18) and Hong Kong (Oct. 27-Nov. 1).
Along with Gwangju Metropolitan City, KEIA is also moving to hold an international climate environmental industry exhibition in the city from Aug. 28 to 30.
"Besides, we already held many workshops, seminars and forums to help member companies exchange information on environmental policies and industries. On April 1 when we met with Minister of Environment Yoon Seong-kyu, we delivered KEIA members' recommendations to the government," he added.
KEIA is a legal organization which was founded in December 2012 by member companies, including large and small & medium enterprises, for shared growth and environmental preservation.
