K-Materials, Parts, and Equipment Expanding into Europe, US, and Japan... KOTRA Hosts 'Korea-Italy Technology Cooperation Consultation'

Three Italian Energy Companies Invited to Seoul
Collaboration Consultations Also Held in Chicago and Nagoya

Amid the reorganization of global supply chains and intensifying competition for technological supremacy, global companies from the United States, Europe, and Japan are increasingly reaching out to leading Korean materials, parts, and equipment (K-Semiconductor, K-Parts, K-Equipment) companies with strong technological capabilities. The Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) announced that, in collaboration with Mind the Bridge, a venture capital management firm and global open innovation consulting company, it held the "2026 Korea-Italy International Technology Cooperation Consultation" at the Payto Hotel in Seoul on September 8, supporting the entry of domestic materials, parts, and equipment companies into European supply chains.

One-on-one consultations are taking place at the '2026 Korea-Italy International Technology Cooperation Consultation' held on the 8th at the Payto Hotel in Seoul. Photo by KOTRA

This event was organized as part of the follow-up to the discussions on expanding cooperation in advanced industries held at the Korea-Italy summit in June. The consultation was linked so that its outcomes could lead to participation in the "Strategic Technology-Type International Joint Technology Development Project" in advanced materials, parts, and equipment, which is supervised by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. The International Joint Technology Development Project (demand-linked type) identifies demands for collaboration on materials, parts, and equipment required for the new product development of global companies and supports joint technology development with K-materials, parts, and equipment companies. Selected companies can receive up to 1 billion won per year for up to three years to support their technology development costs.

The one-on-one consultation session held on this day brought together executives from three global giants: ENI, Italy’s largest state-owned energy company; A2A, a leading public utility company; and Terranova, a provider of digital solutions in the energy and water resource fields.

ENI, targeting carbon neutrality by 2050, is pursuing hydrogen and lithium battery development, showing interest in collaborating with Korean companies possessing related technologies. A2A, which operates in the gas and electricity grid, environmental services, waste management, and circular economy sectors, conducted consultations focused on the related technology and field-testing experience of K-materials, parts, and equipment companies.

On the Korean side, 11 companies including Weplat Co., Ltd., a developer of AI-based water leakage management systems and sensors, and Teralix Co., Ltd., which possesses air-cooled hydrogen fuel cell stack technology, participated and held 11 total consultations with the Italian companies.

Tae-Young Kim, CEO of Teralix, stated, “Italian buyers showed great interest in our hydrogen fuel cell stack technology during the consultation and suggested further discussions. We will seize this consultation on joint technology and product development as an opportunity to expand into the Italian and European markets.”

Meanwhile, on the same day, KOTRA hosted a Global Partnering Consultation (GP-USA) in Chicago, inviting 20 major U.S. manufacturers such as Stellantis, General Motors (GM), and CNH (heavy equipment and agricultural machinery) for collaboration talks with 61 K-materials, parts, and equipment companies. In Nagoya, Japan, a future automotive cooperation consultation was also held at the headquarters of Aisin, Japan’s largest auto parts company and a top-seven global supplier and primary vendor to Toyota.

Gwan-Mook Kim, Executive Vice President and Head of Economic Security and Trade Cooperation at KOTRA, commented, “The recent global trends of manufacturing resurgence, AI transformation (AX), supply chain reform, and efforts to reduce dependence on certain countries are expanding opportunities for our materials, parts, and equipment companies to enter global supply chains. By proactively identifying international collaboration needs through our overseas offices and linking these with government funding programs, we will do our utmost to help K-materials, parts, and equipment companies achieve outstanding results in global supply chains.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.