K-water Receives Presidential Commendation for Promoting Public Procurement of Innovative Products

[Financial News] K-water received a presidential commendation for its contribution to supporting domestic water companies in demonstrating innovative products and developing overseas sales channels. 
K-water said on the 1st that it had received a presidential commendation for promoting public procurement of innovative products at a ceremony marking the sixth Procurement Day, held on the 30th of last month at the Daejeon Convention Center (DCC) in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon.
Innovative product pilot procurement is a program in which the Public Procurement Service (PPS) purchases products first, provides them to public institutions, and supports the verification of their quality and performance in actual-use environments.
In October last year, K-water signed a memorandum of understanding with the PPS and established a water and climate tech category under the Export-Leading Innovative Product Pilot Procurement Program. Since then, it has participated as a dedicated collaborating organization and supported local technical validation for domestic water companies with limited overseas demonstration experience.
It also identified demonstration sites and local partner organizations based on each company's technology and overseas demand. Drawing on its experience operating overseas market development missions, participating in international exhibitions, and dispatching trade delegations, K-water expanded its support so that demonstration results could lead to overseas market entry and the development of sales channels.
In the first and second rounds of the program this year, the first year of participation, 10 water companies will carry out demonstration projects at 15 sites in 11 countries. The total value of the projects is approximately KRW 2.7 billion.
In the first round, six innovative products, including intelligent leak management systems and smart water-management water-quality measuring instruments, were selected and are undergoing overseas field demonstrations. In the second round, four additional products, including a flat-membrane module filtration system and a big-data-based solution for managing high-concentration influent wastewater, were selected.
K-water plans to leverage its 60 years of accumulated water-management experience and overseas network to support the technological competitiveness of domestic water companies and expand their overseas sales channels. It will also strengthen its end-to-end support system, from overseas demonstrations to follow-on export opportunities.
Yoon Seok-dae said, "This commendation recognizes our efforts to expand the scope of public procurement for innovative products to overseas demonstrations and export opportunities through cooperation with the PPS, while supporting the growth of domestic water companies. We will continue to expand public-sector cooperation and tailored support so that outstanding domestic companies can prove their technological capabilities in global markets and generate tangible export results."
[email protected] Choi Ga-young Reporter