SEOUL, KOREA - While being green and environmentally friendly have been catch phrases for quite a while, Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) has been taking real steps to make Korea a place that not only supports environmental behavior but also allows businesses to thrive under those conditions. In a discussion with Korea IT Times, KEITI President
KEITI enhances national competitiveness through eco-innovation project
Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute (KEITI) will invest 1.6 trillion won in the Eco-Innovation R&D project over the next 8 years as part of its effort to enhance the national competitiveness, a top official of the institute said.
Noting that this Eco-Innovation project is a follow-up of the Next-Generation environmental technology development project(2001~2010), KEITI President Yoon Seung-joon said, "Through the new project, we aim to raise the nation's core environmental technology to the level of advanced countries and improve national competitiveness by exporting developed technologies."
In an interview with Korea IT Times, Yoon said, "The eco-innovation project has been classified into four projects for effective propulsion and avoidance of task duplication - the Global Top Environmental Technology Development Project, the Advanced Industrial Technology Development Project of the Environmental Industry, the Public Welfare Technology Development Project, and the Environmental Service Technology Development Project."
For the Global Top Environmental Technology Development Project, the government will spend 782 billion won for the localization of advanced environmental technologies which Korea has been dependent on foreign countries for.
"It will also invest 451 billion won for the Advanced Industrial Technology Development Project of the Environmental Industry to develop tailor-made environmental technologies for enterprises, especially those dealing with air quality and living environments," said the KEITI president.
"Through the Public Welfare Technology Development Project, we will secure technologies necessary for the realization of state policies, including atmosphere environment, environmental health, water environment, water supply & drainage, and resources circulation policies," he said.
"A state budget of 50 billion won will be poured into the Environmental Service Technology Development Project to develop environment-friendly software industry models," said Yoon.
Along with this, KEITI has been pushing ahead with the Environmental Health Action Project since 2012 at a cost of 163.9 billion won over a decade to secure the population’s health and the soundness of the ecosystem.
In addition, it has been making a strong push for the Waste-to-Energy Technology Development Project since 2012, while launching the integrated policy-based technology development project to cope with climate change in 2013.
"In particular, KEITI has placed key emphasis on developing environmental technology this year to cope with accidents stemming from environmental pollution or environmental disasters," he said.
President Yoon appointed as IETC Advisor
KEITI President Yoon, who was appointed as a international expert advisor for the International Environment Technology Center (IETC) of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in November last year, also said, "Korea has tided over serious environmental pollution problems by developing environmental technology by itself. We plan to spread such successful experience, technology, and know-how to developing countries in the future."
To introduce its technology development achievements to the people, KEITI also holds an exhibition to show off environmental technology at COEX in Seoul in June of every year.
"At the 15th exhibition held on June 11-14 this year, we introduced the Dream of an Abandoned Toy program, which disassembles abandoned toys and remake them into new toys, gaining high popularity from children. Along with this, we granted prizes to researchers and enterprises that showed excellent R&D results, while holding explanatory meetings for technology transfer and advancement into overseas environmental markets," he said.
"Through these events, we plan to spread excellent environmental technology at home and abroad, strengthen the environmental industry's competitiveness, and share up-to-date information on environmental technology," he explained.
Fostering the environmental industry
Commenting that KEITI is extending environmental policy loans to environment-related small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Yoon said, "We plan to extend 135 billion won in such loans to smaller SMEs this year, an increase of 20 billion won from the previous year. Thanks to such loans, 15 companies, which made facility investment with the fund last year, were able to employ 5.6 persons on average and increase productivity by 111 percent."
In addition, KEITI is focusing its efforts on intensively fostering small-sized environmental enterprises with high growth potential in an attempt to expand the foundation for growth of the domestic environmental industry.
"In particular, we designated 25 companies in 2012 and 2013 as Leading Environmental Companiesto provide them with consulting services for management and advancement into overseas markets. For growth of small-sized environmental enterprises, KEITI also built an ecosystem for win-win growth with large companies, including Daewoo Construction and SK China, to promote bilateral cooperation between smaller and large companies," said Yoon.
It is also seeking effective methods to support small-sized environmental enterprises by strengthening cooperation with relevant institutions, including KOTRA, KOICA, and Korea Eximbank.
Operation of environmental venture center
KEITI is also operating an environmental venture center to find promising environmental ideas or business start-ups with a high level of technology.
"The number of companies that moved into the venture center increased from 13 in 2010 to 14 in 2011, but slipped to 13 in 2012 with their sales rising from 6.6 billion won to 8.2 billion won and 9.0 billion won, respectively," he said.
Pointing out that enhancing the brand value of enterprises is the key to advancing into the global environmental market, Yoon said, "KEITI is also supporting small-sized environmental enterprises with advanced technology through assistance for exploration of overseas sales routes, manpower employment and financial favors.”
"Related to this, it designated 10 companies as leading environmental companies in 2012, which enjoyed such tangible results as an average increase of over 20 percent in sales and overseas exports amounting to 26.5 billion won."
Asked about Korea's environmental market, President Yoon said, "The nation's environmental market reached saturation with 5.5 trillion won. However, the global environmental market is expected to grow by over 10 percent every year, boosted by rapid growth of newly emerging markets, including Asia and Latin America."
Noting that 135 companies which received assistance from KEITI last year exported a total of 515 billion won worth of goods and services, he said, "It indicates the government's support has been playing a great role in accelerating Korean environmental companies' advancement into overseas markets."
To strengthen small-sized environmental companies' export ability, KEITI has concluded an agreement for green exports, while operating a consultation center to promote exports.
Issuance of green credit cards
To let the people carry out green life and create a virtuous cycle linking green production, consumption, and circulation, it also proposed the issuance of green credit cards. Green credit cards are an incentive system, under which the government, local governments, or enterprises offer points to those who carry out green life activities such as energy conservation or purchasing green products.
"Thanks to such efforts, the sales of green products reached 3 trillion won, the number of designated green storesincreased to 104, and 4.5 million green credit cards were issued in 2012. Meanwhile, the U.N. introduced Korea's public procurement policy as the best practice in its panel report for sustainable development to the U.N. secretary general last year," he said.
KEITI also introduced the Eco-labelcertification system 20 years ago and some 10,000 products have so far received the environmental mark.
"For active advancement into overseas markets by Korean products with the environmental mark, KEITI concluded a mutual recognition agreement with the U.S. and Canada in 2012. We also expanded the environmental mark field from existing life necessities, electronic equipment, and construction materials to the service sector covering hotels and car insurance," he added.