K-Smart Transport Targets Five Countries in the Middle East and Central Asia ... ITS Korea: “Opening Up More Export Routes Abroad”

[Financial News] South Korean intelligent transport systems (ITS) companies are stepping up efforts to enter overseas markets in five countries across the Middle East and Central Asia. Their strategy is to identify export opportunities for Korean smart transport technologies by linking the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) development finance network with infrastructure needs identified by transport authorities in each country. They are also exploring prospects for entering the Middle Eastern market, particularly by promoting future mobility technologies such as autonomous driving.
According to the Korea Intelligent Transport Systems Association (ITS Korea), from the 20th through the 21st it will hold meetings on cooperation in the ITS sector with transport authorities from four countries—Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Vietnam—at the ITS World Congress in Gangneung. It will also arrange business matches between Abu Dhabi transport authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and South Korean companies.
The cooperation focuses on identifying overseas projects by linking each country’s transport infrastructure needs with the technological capabilities of South Korean ITS companies. In particular, ITS Korea is working with ADB’s Korea Climate Technology Hub (K-Hub) to explore not only technology exchanges but also opportunities to commercialize projects in connection with development finance.
At a cooperation meeting with Uzbekistan that day, participants discussed upgrading urban traffic management systems, smart traffic signals and the operation of traffic information centers. They shared South Korea’s experience in building and operating ITS systems and also considered possible follow-up cooperation on interoperability and standardization.
With Vietnam’s Ministry of Construction, participants discussed cooperation plans focused on easing urban traffic congestion, road safety and the digital transformation of transport infrastructure. Heo Cheong-hoe, president of ITS Korea, and Executive Director Jo Yong-seong attended the meeting and shared ideas for developing projects with ADB and Vietnamese transport authority officials.
On the 21st, meetings are planned with officials from Kazakhstan and Tajikistan to assess demand for transport infrastructure development and discuss potential technology cooperation and overseas projects in coordination with ADB.
Efforts to enter the Middle Eastern market are also taking shape. ITS Korea held business-matching meetings that day between the Abu Dhabi Integrated Transport Centre and South Korean ITS and autonomous-driving companies. Participants shared the areas of interest of Abu Dhabi’s transport authorities and the South Korean companies’ technological and business capabilities, and discussed potential cooperation in transport and mobility.
Building on these discussions, ITS Korea plans to specify project needs in each country and expand cooperation to include technology exchanges, pilot demonstrations and joint projects. It aims to focus on identifying tangible contract opportunities by directly connecting overseas transport authorities with South Korean companies.
ITS Korea President Heo Cheong-hoe said, “For South Korean ITS companies to expand overseas, it is important to understand the transport environments and project needs of each country and build cooperative relationships with local transport authorities and international cooperation organizations.” He added, “Now that we have created opportunities for cooperation connecting ADB, overseas transport authorities and South Korean companies, I will support efforts to turn them into tangible results in overseas projects through links to development finance, technology cooperation and business exchanges between companies.”
[email protected] Kim Dong-ho Reporter