The New Zealand-Korea Tech Panel
“Innovative New Zealand tech firms can thrive in the Korean market if it’s approached correctly and the local environment is well-placed to support them,” said Philip Turner, New Zealand Ambassador to Korea. “Korea’s strengths complement the strengths of New Zealand’s tech sector: ease of doing business; ingenuity; and creativity – fertile ground for further collaboration.”
As part of the Korea TechWeek Series, the New Zealand-Korea Tech Panel aimed to demonstrate the business opportunities available in the Korean market and help New Zealand tech firms understand why Korea is a great place to do business. The panel was hosted by the New Zealand Chamber of Commerce in Korea, known as “The Kiwi Chamber,” and the New Zealand Embassy in Seoul.
South Korea is an innovative and tech-savvy country, and Kiwi strengths in software complement Korea’s technological expertise in hardware. Both countries are already cooperating in areas such as regenerative medicine, robotics, digital content and Antarctic research. The local New Zealand business community is also well known for helping fellow Kiwis out in the market.
“The Kiwi Chamber has been running its ‘Inspire with Innovation Series’ for several years and the Korea TechWeek Series and tech panel are instrumental in increasing the awareness of New Zealand tech in Korea,” said Dr. Tony Garrett, Chairman, The Kiwi Chamber. “There is a strong partnership between the New Zealand Embassy in Seoul, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) and The Kiwi Chamber, which enables us to provide in-market support for Kiwi businesses – we are here to help.”
Following opening remarks by Ambassador Turner and Dr. Garrett, New Zealand-Korea Tech Panel Emcee Lukas Beech, Partner, DHR International, Seoul Office and Board Advisor, The Kiwi Chamber, introduced all the panelists and provided an overview of the discussion.
The tech panel included top speakers from all over the tech sector – Kitak Ahn, COO, Neurmeka; Yu-Sung Chang, CTO, SSG.com; Wangsoo Choi, Area Sales Manager, AuCom; and Jung-hun Lee, Country Manager, Fisher & Paykel – who discussed their challenges and successes in the South Korean market. The speakers also offered advice for New Zealand firms who wish to take advantage of what the country has to offer.
“It was great to have a balanced panel and viewpoints with Korean representatives from both New Zealand and Korean companies coming from a range of tech sectors including robotics and factory automation, software and e-commerce, healthcare and machinery,” said Mr. Beech. “The panel was conceived to provide a perspective on the current business environment in Korea – a point of reference for New Zealand companies that have an interest in developing their business in the Korean market.”
A few key take-aways for New Zealand companies from the panelists included suggestions that Korean companies are open for technology partnerships for their business in Korea and internationally. They also advised Kiwi businesses approach the Korean market with a higher level of formality than what may be used when conducting business in the Anglosphere. The panel further mentioned that the effectiveness of market and customer development in Korea could be significantly increased by empowering their colleagues in Korea to tailor a more local approach.
The New Zealand-Korea Tech Panel built upon the very successful 2019 New Zealand Tech Roadshow, which included tech firms Aware Group (artificial intelligence); Centrality (blockchain, artificial intelligence, IoT); Revolution Fibres (nanofibre textiles); and Code Avengers (technology education). Please see link below of testimonial from last year’s tech roadshow.
“There were a number of tangible outcomes from last year’s tech roadshow, including SK Telecom’s visit to New Zealand and Mirae Asset expressing interest in investing in the participating companies,” said Anna Song, Project Manager, NZ-Korea TechWeek Series and NZ Tech Roadshow Korea. “Stay tuned! We are planning our 2020 New Zealand Tech Roadshow for this October. For more information, please contact chamber@kiwichamber.com.”
The Korea TechWeek Series is a collaboration between The Kiwi Chamber and the New Zealand Embassy in Seoul with support from key organisations such as North Asia CAPE, NZTE and NZTech.
Watch the testimonial: Aaron McDonald, CEO, Centrality.AI
