An official from a Korean startup SOFTPV showcases its solar cell products to buyers during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Jan. 6. Courtesy of KOTRA
By Baek Byung-yeul
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) has been creating a golden opportunity for Korean companies to expand their presence in the United States as well as the global market.
To promote small local firms with technological capabilities to overseas markets during the tech fair, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the Korea Electronics Association (KEA) have operated a Korea pavilion, exhibiting technologies and products of 78 Korean companies during the CES tech fair.
Logo for Consumer Electronics Show / Courtesy of Consumer Technology Association
KOTRA said it has supported the entire process from the preparation stage to the exhibition process to maximize promotion effects of the participating companies, given the 2022 event is the first to be held in person in two years.
"First, we checked the responses of domestic industries and consumers by launching a preview showcase of the CES participating firms at the Korea Electronics Show, the country's largest tech fair held in Seoul last October," KOTRA said.
The agency also discovered companies with excellent technologies and helped them apply for the CES Innovation Awards. As a result, eight of the participating companies were honored to receive innovation awards from the organizer.
For example, the local solar energy startup SOFTPV won the innovation award with what it calls its Soltria solar tree. The tree-shaped solar power generator using micro-sized solar cells generates electric power for storage in an energy storage system at the base of the tree-shaped machine.
Some companies have attained meaningful business achievements through participation in the CES. "A company specializing in hydrogen energy technology signed a technology cooperation agreement with a U.S. company at the CES to expand the latter's hydrogen infrastructure business there. In addition to the hydrogen company, various startups are expected to actively enter the U.S. market through the CES," the agency said.
Yu Jeoung-yeol, CEO of KOTRA, said "The CES is a good opportunity to understand future technology trends and promising industries," adding that the agency will actively support Korean companies so that they can get the most out of the event.
