Quality Korean Machinery On Display

Foreign buyers flock to Korea Machinery Fair 2009 to buy quality Korean-made machinery

The 32nd Korea Machinery Fair 2009 held from Oct. 27-31 at KINTEX in northern Seoul was a great success, drawing thousands of viewers including representatives of 900 foreign machinery companies and buyers crowding the event.
The international biennial event, since its launching in 1977, has built up its reputation as the foremost machinery show in the world by putting on display various types of machinery including those from foreign countries, after integrating the Seoul Industrial Equipment Show and the Metal Industrial Exhibition in 2005.
Minister Choi Kyung-hwan of the Ministry of Knowledge Economy, in his congratulatory speech to open the event, said the machinery industry should do its best to turn itself into a higher value-added sector by reducing its reliance on imports of core parts and raw materials technologies and become a leader on the global scene by overcoming various crises, continually pursuing new markets, coping effectively with climate change and low-carbon green growth and the expansion of free trade agreements (FTAs).
The government, too, will go a long way to provide support to the industry to help enhance its competitiveness, by giving support to its R&D activities, training professionals and overseas marketing efforts.
On display were products of such world-renowned machinery makers as Doosan Heavy Industry, Samsung Tech One, Hass Automation Inc., to name just a few domestic and foreign machinery makers. In all, 900 companies from 31 countries displayed 41,000 pieces of machinery.
Doosan Heavy put on show its desalination plant model, Samsung Tech One displayed turbo pressure equipment and Chungwoo Hydro exhibited its charging pump for nuclear power plants jointly developed with Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co.
At the event, some 100,000 of those in charge of purchases for their firms and real end-users conducted sales talks with machinery makers, which are estimated to have lead to sales of some $1.2 billion worth of machinery products of various kinds with $100 million worth of machinery products sold on the spot.
Some 80 companies from both home and abroad participated in the sales talk session on Oct. 27 including a number of leading firms. Such foreign oil companies as TAKREER, Petrofac, NPCC, LANCO, Indian and Middle East, as well as representatives of engineering procurement construction companies participated in sales talks on such plant equipment as heat exchangers and valve pumps produced by Korean firms.
Some 114 overseas buyers from 25 countries including Japan, China and Vietnam were invited by Korean machinery makers to hold one-one-talks with their hosts on machinery purchases.
A total of 73 companies such as Caretech and Solpact debuted their localized machinery equipment including optical equipment, testing machinery and measurement analytical equipment at the event to show that they can substitute various machinery equipment and will be able to in the days to come as their research continues to make progress.
Those who made recognizable contributions to the localization of machinery won medals and citations from the government. Chairman Noh Sang-hoon of HKR Co. won the Industrial Merit Silver Medal for the successful localization of flexible joint and inter-cooler joint systems. Cheil Oil Pressure won the Presidential Citation for its successful localization of oil pressure pumps and oil pressure valves. Other medal winners included President Ahn Sang-koo of Chungwoo Hydro Co. who won the Industrial Merit Bronze Medal for localizing the boiler feed water pump for high-heat, high-pressure boilers; Managing Director Lee Hee-woo of STX Heavy Industry for his part in localizing electronically controlled diesel engines, making the company one of the strongest in the area of ship engines. Five heads of companies won Industrial Awards for their contributions to the localization of machinery including President Hwang Jong-kyun of Daemyung Engineering Co. in connection with the localization of a key part for magnetic trains.
Six individuals and a company won Presidential Citations including President Park Jong-chan of Shinwoo Climate Control Co. for localizing fan coil unit for ceiling cassette type 1.2 directions. Five individuals and three companies won Prime Ministerial Citations and 14 people and 11 companies clinched Minister of Knowledge Economy Citations. nw

A foreign buyer is at a booth talking with booth operators at the machinery fair.

Minister Choi Kyung-hwan gives a congratulatory speech at the opening of the machinery fair at KINTEX in Ilsan.