Yangsan Mayor Na Dong-yeon’s Business Trip to Two European Countries for ‘Global Yangsan’

Visiting Barcelona Smart City World Expo and Exploring Entry into the Spanish Market

Visiting Sister City Sintra, Portugal... Promoting Economic and Cultural Exchange Cooperation

Mayor Na Dong-yeon of Yangsan City will embark on a 10-night, 12-day overseas business trip from November 3 to 14, visiting four cities in two countries: Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, and Lisbon and Sintra in Portugal.

This overseas trip is organized with a delegation composed of local businesspeople, including the chairman of the Yangsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The purpose is to acquire new technologies through attending overseas exhibitions, explore overseas market entry for local companies, and expand economic and cultural exchange cooperation with sister cities.

As the first itinerary, Mayor Na and the business delegation will visit Madrid, the capital of Spain, which is expected to have the highest economic growth rate among EU member countries despite the global economic slowdown.

First, they plan to meet with the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Spain (Ambassador Im Soo-seok) to hear about Spain’s political and economic trends and request cooperation for local companies’ market entry. Then, they will visit the KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) Madrid Trade Center (Director Han Yeon-hee) to have in-depth discussions on the local business environment and corporate entry strategies.

Next, they will attend the ‘2024 Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC24)’ held in Barcelona from November 5 to 7. Since its inception in 2011, this event has become the world’s largest smart city exhibition, attracting over 25,000 visitors from 800 cities across 140 countries. It offers a comprehensive view of the latest smart city technology trends and hosts seminars and business meetings where municipalities and companies from around the world discuss urban agendas.

Through this exhibition, Mayor Na plans to participate in networking sessions with representatives from institutions and companies from various countries, communicate actively, discover best practices for Yangsan’s smart city advancement, and provide opportunities for local businesspeople to expand their projects related to urban innovation.

After two days of exhibition attendance, the delegation will visit Barcelona’s smart city regeneration innovation district and the CaixaForum, a comprehensive cultural facility established as a corporate social responsibility project by private companies, to benchmark excellent cases. They will conclude the Spain visit by touring the HP Inc. Barcelona factory to observe the 3D printer manufacturing process and research facilities firsthand.

The Portugal exchange event aims to strengthen cooperation between Sintra City and its international sister cities and to create a global Yangsan through diverse cultural and economic exchanges. The first itinerary in Portugal is benchmarking the historic tourism district of Set?bal. The purpose is to explore excellent tourism resources dating back to the 16th century and develop tourism items that can be applied to Yangsan City.

On the following day, November 11, they will visit the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Portugal (Ambassador Jo Young-moo), which assisted with the Portugal exchange in June, to share the achievements of international exchanges. They plan to accelerate exchange projects between Yangsan City and Sintra City through the embassy and conduct local promotional activities for Yangsan City. Then, together with the Yangsan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, they will visit the KOTRA Lisbon Trade Center to seriously discuss the entry of Yangsan companies into the Portuguese market.

On November 12, a meeting with Sintra City is scheduled, where detailed discussions on culture, tourism, economy, and business sectors will take place. This meeting will review the progress of exchanges between the two cities and plan to expand future exchanges, thereby further enhancing mutual understanding and friendship among residents of both cities.

On the final day, November 13, they will visit major companies in Sintra City to discuss economic and business exchanges. They intend to use this opportunity to reference cases for the development of Yangsan’s technology and industrial sectors and explore possibilities for mutual cooperation and growth with overseas companies in the future.

Mayor Na Dong-yeon stated, “This exchange event is expected to be an important starting point for promoting the ‘2026 Visit Yangsan Year,’ which commemorates the 30th anniversary of the city’s elevation.” He added, “Through global cooperation, Yangsan City will strengthen its position as a global city and positively impact the regional economy.”