Shin Sang-jin, the mayor of Seongnam, is spearheading efforts to expand overseas markets for local defense small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and support their entry into the European market.
On October 26, Mayor Shin announced that the recent delegation to Poland resulted in export consultations worth a total of $8.54 million (approximately 11.5 billion won) and the pursuit of contracts valued at $1.72 million (about 23 billion won).
During the market exploration activities held in Wrocław, Poland, from October 7 to 12, Mayor Shin visited the local export consultation venue on the 9th to encourage participating companies.
He also held a meeting with business representatives to discuss the progress of export consultations and the challenges faced in entering overseas markets, exploring practical support measures.
The delegation included ten defense SMEs from the Seongnam area, according to Mayor Shin.
Participating companies conducted 33 one-on-one tailored export consultations with local buyers, confirming the potential for entering the European defense market.
Notably, drone equipment manufacturer Nextnine agreed to jointly participate in bids with local Polish drone companies for six airports in Germany.
They also secured product sales agreements with companies in Germany and Poland, moving beyond consultations to concrete business opportunities.
Mayor Shin aims to ensure that these achievements lead to ongoing overseas market development rather than being a one-time event.
To this end, during his visit to Poland, he established a sister city relationship with Wrocław, the first such agreement with a European city, laying the groundwork for expanded economic cooperation.
The two cities plan to pursue practical collaborative projects in defense and advanced industries.
An agreement was also signed between the Seongnam Industrial Promotion Agency and the Polish Defense Industry Association (PCNDM).
The two organizations agreed to collaborate on technology exchange, market information sharing, and joint research and development, creating a foundation for local defense companies to access market information and broaden business opportunities.
Poland has been expanding its import of South Korean weapon systems and is considered a key hub for domestic defense companies entering the European market.
Mayor Shin plans to leverage the cooperation network with local governments and industrial organizations to support regional companies in their overseas expansion and ensure that consultation outcomes lead to actual contracts and export growth.
There is growing interest among citizens regarding whether the recent delegation to Poland will broaden overseas market access for Seongnam's defense SMEs and invigorate the local economy.
Most notably, attention is focused on whether the $8.54 million in export consultations and the $1.72 million in contract pursuits will translate into actual export contracts, boosting local companies' revenues and creating jobs.
Mayor Shin stated, "I find it very meaningful that local defense companies achieved significant results at the export consultation in Poland."
He added, "I will actively support ensuring that these consultation outcomes lead to actual export contracts."
Meanwhile, Mayor Shin has dispatched market exploration delegations to three regions this year, including CIS, Northern Europe, and Poland, supporting the overseas expansion of 27 companies and achieving a total of $21.78 million (approximately 304 billion won) in export consultation results.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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