K-water Supports Korean Water Companies’ Entry into the U.S. Market by Expanding Local Demonstration Opportunities

[Financial News] Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) is expanding a local demonstration platform that connects U.S. water utilities with Korean water companies. The plan is to identify water-management technologies needed in the U.S. market and support Korean companies from technology verification and commercialization to market development.
On the 8th, K-water announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the Korea Water and Wastewater Works Association at its headquarters in Daejeon to expand a global testbed for the U.S. market.
Under the agreement, K-water will oversee support for testbed demonstrations aimed at addressing water-related challenges in the United States. AWWA will connect local water utilities with Korean companies, while the Korea Water and Wastewater Works Association will support the identification of joint demonstration projects and the establishment of overseas cooperation networks.
In particular, K-water plans to use the network of AWWA, which has approximately 4,300 member companies and more than 50,000 experts, to connect local demand for technology in the United States with technologies developed by Korean water companies.
Demand for water-management technologies has recently increased in the United States as the country seeks to upgrade aging water infrastructure and respond to the climate crisis. However, Korean water companies have faced difficulties entering the market because of limited access to local market information, challenges in securing demonstration opportunities, and a lack of networks with water utilities.
The cooperation among the three organizations will expand exchanges beyond the existing exhibition-centered approach to technology demonstrations based on local testbeds. They will verify the applicability and commercialization potential of Korean technologies according to regional operating conditions and demand in the United States, while supporting the companies in securing local track records and developing follow-up sales channels.
Since 2022, K-water has participated with Korean water companies in the Annual Conference & Exposition (ACE), organized by AWWA. AWWA also participates every year in the Korea Water and Wastewater Works Association’s WATER KOREA exhibition.
Earlier, on the 1st, K-water invited 56 Korean water companies to an overseas joint-entry networking event and discussed ways to expand global testbeds.
K-water President Yoon Seok-dae said, "I hope this agreement will serve as an opportunity to verify the applicability of Korean water companies’ technologies in the U.S. market and expand the foundation for their market entry." He added, "Based on the water-management experience and technological capabilities accumulated over 60 years, we will support Korean companies’ local demonstrations and commercialization."
[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter