‘Daegu One-Stop Business Support Expo’ Closes with Record Performance... Export Consultations Reach $25 Million

The '2023 Daegu One-Stop Business Support Expo,' the only comprehensive corporate support expo in Korea, concluded successfully over two days from the 18th to the 19th, achieving record-breaking results.

Co-hosted by Daegu City and the Win-Win Growth Committee and organized by Daegu Technopark (TP), the '2023 Daegu One-Stop Business Support Expo with the Win-Win Growth Fair' focused on five core program areas tailored to corporate needs: domestic demand stimulation, export channels, recruitment, resolution of difficulties and regulations, and policy briefings.

Opening Ceremony of the Daegu One-Stop Business Support Expo.

Thanks to expanded new collaborations with various public institutions and economic organizations, systematization of programs, and full support from Daegu TP, the total number of participating companies and institutions surged to 577 despite a short four-month preparation period after last year’s expo. The scope of programs was significantly broadened and enhanced, elevating the expo’s status to a new level.

The number of demand companies and institutions increased by 88 from last year to 264, and the number of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) participating in purchase and export consultations rose by 98 to 313, demonstrating high expectations for market expansion amid challenging economic conditions.

Programs addressing corporate difficulties and recruitment support were also operated simultaneously. Newly added events such as the Daegu Promising Companies Recruitment Fair and the Comprehensive Corporate Support Policy Briefing received positive responses from companies.

At the 'Large and Small-Medium Enterprise Purchase Consultation,' a total of 104 demand-side companies participated, including large and mid-sized corporations such as Samsung, SK, LG, Hyundai, and public institutions like the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation. Through 686 technology and purchase consultations with 198 SMEs, consultation results reached 82.3 billion KRW. This is the highest record among the 14 Win-Win Growth Fairs held nationwide by city and provincial governments since 2019.

Five companies?LG Innotek, Naver, POSCO DX, Lotte Department Store, and Hyundai Mobis?shared information on their partner selection criteria and store entry methods, providing valuable insights for local companies to expand their distribution networks.

Additionally, the expanded export consultation achieved export consultation results worth 25 million USD, playing a significant role as a catalyst for revitalizing exports of local companies. The newly established 'Specialized Trading Company Export Consultation' involved 27 domestic specialized trading companies conducting 139 face-to-face consultations with 55 local companies, resulting in 18 million USD in performance. The 'Overseas Buyer Export Consultation' connected 27 buyers from 9 countries with 60 local companies both online and offline, achieving 166 consultations and 7 million USD in export consultation results.

At the 'Daegu Promising Companies Recruitment Fair,' 36 local promising companies including L&F, Isu Petasys, and SL participated extensively, conducting 884 consultations and interviews with local job seekers over two days. Fifty-three candidates passed the first round of interviews and will proceed with subsequent hiring processes. The 'Recruitment Open Studio,' broadcast live on YouTube, provided a platform for 30 companies such as Kyungchang Industry and Future Advanced Materials to meet 184 local youths both online and offline, facilitating information exchange and communication for recruitment.

The 'Comprehensive Corporate Support Policy Briefing' held on the 18th targeted 200 corporate officials and provided key policy information from 10 institutions including Daegu City, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, and the Korea Productivity Center. Individual consultations offered essential information for corporate management activities. To resolve various difficulties and regulations faced by local companies, support institutions such as Daegu City, Daegu TP, and the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Small and Medium Business Administration conducted 48 one-on-one consultations addressing corporate challenges.

On the 19th, the 'Joint Meeting on Corporate Difficulties and Regulatory Reform,' jointly organized by Daegu City and the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation, listened to 18 pressing difficulties and regulatory issues from seven companies located in national industrial complexes and the Dalseong 2nd Industrial Complex, where corporate investment and settlement are increasing. The meeting sought solutions through comprehensive institutional cooperation.

The city plans to further develop the Daegu One-Stop Business Support Expo by strengthening follow-up management to ensure that purchase, export, and recruitment consultations conducted during the expo lead to tangible outcomes.

Mayor Hong Jun-pyo stated, “We will establish the Daegu One-Stop Business Support Expo, the only one of its kind in Korea, as a specialized comprehensive corporate support platform model and faithfully serve as a catalyst for the rise of Daegu’s economy.”