Gimhae City in South Gyeongsang Province is broadening international cooperation to expand overseas markets for local businesses and enhance industrial technology exchanges in major cities across Europe and Asia.
The Gimhae Bio Industry Promotion Agency is preparing to participate in the MEDICA 2026 international medical device exhibition in Germany and has signed 16 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) through consultations with local buyers in Vietnam.
The agency continues its collaboration with Wuxi City in China on the bio industry and is pursuing joint projects in the ceramic culture and industry with Jingdezhen.
The Gimhae Bio Industry Promotion Agency will participate in the MEDICA 2026 international medical device exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany, from November 16 to 19, alongside five medical companies from Gyeongnam.
MEDICA is an international exhibition showcasing technologies and products across the medical industry, including medical devices, digital healthcare, diagnostics, and laboratory equipment. This year, advanced medical technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), precision medicine, smart hospitals, and remote monitoring are key areas of interest.
The agency will set up a joint booth in Hall 16, G53. It will support participating companies with booth rental fees and design and construction costs through export support programs led by Gyeongsangnam-do and the Ministry of Science and ICT's '2026 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Innovation Technology Business Development Project.'
The participating companies include Medical Solution Systems, Safeline, BioActs BMS, Welmetix, and Gemtech. Medical Solution Systems will showcase its pulse oximeter 'VP-100,' while Safeline will present its AI-based body shape and sleep posture analysis solution 'Sleep-Pressure.'
BioActs BMS will introduce field diagnostic reagents for cell and bacteria detection, Welmetix will showcase its AI-based next-generation antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) platform, and Gemtech will exhibit a high-frequency stimulator.
During the exhibition, participating companies will conduct individual consultations with overseas buyers to secure distribution networks and identify new business partners.
Before entering the European market, concrete cooperation results have emerged in Southeast Asia.
The agency held the '2026 Global Cluster Cooperation Korea-Vietnam Product and Technology Exchange Meeting' in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, from October 15 to 19.
The event, organized through the Ministry of Health and Welfare's 'K-Bio Health Regional Center Support Project' and the Ministry of Science and ICT's 'Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Innovation Technology Business Development Project,' featured 15 domestic medical and bio companies and 30 Vietnamese buyers.
The participating domestic companies included two digital healthcare firms, five medical and beauty device companies, four bio product companies, and four functional cosmetics companies.
Participants shared information on local medical device approvals and distribution market insights at Tham My Korean Star Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City and presented their products and technologies.
A total of 32 business-to-business (B2B) consultations were conducted with local buyers, resulting in 16 MOUs covering product distribution, joint marketing, original equipment manufacturing (OEM), contract manufacturing (ODM), and connections with medical institutions.
Notably, Aboriderm Bio signed a contract for product supply at Lotte Mart in Vietnam, agreeing to supply products to five of the 17 local Lotte Mart branches, with specific quantities and supply conditions pending further confirmation.
The companies also visited Diamond General Medical Clinic and Vietnam's 175th Army Hospital to assess local medical device introduction conditions and product demand, discussing potential collaborations with medical institutions.
To manage the process of turning MOUs into actual contracts, the agency will support companies with estimates, samples, local approvals, distribution negotiations, and additional consultations.
Park Jae-hyun, head of the Gimhae Bio Industry Promotion Agency, stated, "We will continue to provide follow-up support for each company to ensure that the networks formed through one-on-one consultations and visits to medical institutions lead to actual product distribution, contracts, and market entry."
In China, industrial cooperation continues to leverage the existing sister city relationship. The Gimhae Bio Industry Promotion Agency discussed expanding exchanges in the bio and medical device industries with a delegation from Wuxi City on November 4.
Five officials from Wuxi's Science and Technology Bureau, Data Bureau, Industrial Information and Technology Bureau, Investment Promotion Bureau, and Foreign Affairs Office were briefed on Gimhae's bio industry status and toured the Bio Industry Center and Medical Practicalization Center.
Gimhae and Wuxi established a sister city relationship in 2005 and signed an MOU in November 2023 to promote the bio and medical device industries. During this visit, discussions focused on sharing industrial information, technology exchanges between companies, and expanding business cooperation based on the existing agreement.
Meanwhile, Gimhae is concretizing its cooperation with Jingdezhen in the ceramic industry, advancing follow-up projects from the exchange agreement signed in October.
On October 19, Gimhae signed a memorandum of understanding for exchange cooperation with Jingdezhen and is pursuing additional MOUs between Gimhae's ceramic-related institutions and Chinese research institutions as of November 9.
The agreement involves the Gimhae Ceramic Association, Gimhae Ceramic Small Business Support Center, the Shangyu Ceramic Institute, and the Jingdezhen Ceramic Culture Research Institute. The Gimhae institutions will establish trilateral MOUs with the Chinese research institutions to collaborate on exhibition exchanges, technical education programs, ceramic craft culture exchanges, and joint projects.
On the same day, at the 17th Korea Buncheong Ceramics Exhibition International Symposium held at Lotte Hotel & Resort, Ouyang Xiaoxiang, president of the Shangyu Ceramic Institute, presented on the trends of traditional and modern Chinese ceramics, while Zhao Xin, director of the Jingdezhen Ceramic Culture Research Institute, discussed future trends in the Chinese ceramic industry.
The Chinese delegation met with the mayor of Gimhae and visited local ceramic companies and the Gimhae Buncheong Ceramics Festival site to observe production sites and the operational status of the local ceramic industry.
A Gimhae official remarked, "The significance of the exchanges between the two cities lies in the expansion of cooperation between ceramic artists and research institutions. We will pursue practical cooperation projects to enhance the competitiveness of Gimhae's Buncheong ceramics and contribute to the development of the local ceramic industry through continuous exchanges."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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