By Kim Yoo-chul
A leading industrial fair in Germany to be held next year has found a way to give more business chances to Korean companies oriented in green initiatives, according to a senior executive at the exhibition organizer said.
Wolfgang Pech, senior vice president of Deutsche Messe, told The Korea Times that the forthcoming Hannover Messe 2011 trade show will work on energy-saving and eco-friendly technologies in line with the Korean government's green initiatives.
"At the show, over 4,500 innovative products will be displayed. Issues such as better usage of materials and renewable energies will be other top priorities," Pech said.
"Smart efficiency will be on the agenda at all 13 flagship fairs."
He added that the show with the main theme of ``smart efficiency’’ will have such sub-themes of ``resource efficiency,’’ ``process efficiency,’’ and ``cost efficiency.’’
The high-profile event will run from April 4 to 8 in Hannover, Germany next year. The five-day show organizer has integrated 13 leading trade exhibitions in one place that will mainly feature industrial automation, energy and power plant technology.
In terms of format, the show is quite different from that of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas and IFA in Berlin as the Hannover Messe has focused on the business-to-business or B2B companies rather than targeting end consumers.
Referring to higher trade volume in the EU, the executive expects the exhibition will play the role of a gateway to review strategies by Korean companies with regard to the advanced ``smart solutions.’’
``We believe the show will pave the way for the coming South Korean machinery-related companies to yield more visible results,’’ Pech said on the ``smart efficiency’’ themed show.
The event is expected to further underpin the already-brisk transactions between Korea and the EU in time with the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two. The EU and Korea signed an FTA in October, 2010. After ratification, it will go into effect midway through next year.
EU-Korean trade was worth around $54 billion in 2009. More Korean companies have been keen on increased penetration and strengthened alliances with European partners in industrial machinery-related business areas.
Citing the faster urbanization in emerging countries such as China, he said the so-called ``metropolitan solution,’’ which means related technologies for urban planning, will also be one of the major topics of the exhibition.
``Climate and energy issues are closely linked with the challenges facing the metropolitan regions ― not least because more and more industrial production facilities are now located in urban areas,’’ Pech claims.
``The sustained growth for cities around the world is placing increased pressure on the urban infrastructure.’’
Korea’s LS Cable, LS Industrial, Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI), Hyosung Group and Samsung Techwin will come to the fair with an aim to stimulate their own business agenda, company representatives said.
In addition to bigger ones, some 70 small- and medium-sized domestic companies or small- and medium-sized enterprises are also set to participate in the exhibition in a unified booth.
``The vice chairman Koo Ja-kyun will head to the fair for several business meetings,’’ LS Industrial spokesman Kim Bong-kyu said, adding the corporation will display automation and electricity-related solutions.