KOTRA: "Next Year's Export Keywords Are AI, Innovative Manufacturing, and Koria"

On the 4th, '2025 Global Market Entry Strategy Briefing' Held

Next year's export keywords are expected to be artificial intelligence (AI), innovative manufacturing plus alpha (related infrastructure), and the 'Korea' brand.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA held the '2025 Global Market Entry Strategy Briefing' on the 4th at the Grand InterContinental Seoul Parnas in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, where regional headquarters chiefs presented market entry strategies for the world's top 10 regions. They assessed that next year, "although we will face significant changes and challenges, we will also encounter broader market opportunities."

Exterior view of KOTRA headquarters in Seocho-gu, Seoul. Provided by KOTRA

AI is rapidly growing not only in the solutions sector but also in related hardware and service markets. With smart infrastructure projects for data center expansion and accelerated AI adoption across the economy?including manufacturing, logistics, and finance?new markets are opening up. Park Dong-wook, head of KOTRA's Middle East regional headquarters, said, "The Middle East AI industry is expected to grow to $34.2 billion by 2030," adding, "We need to focus on the smart AI Middle East market, which goes beyond the traditional image of plant or construction projects."

Opportunities using AI are expanding not only in the Middle East but also in Japan and Southeast Asia. Japan is attempting to solve labor shortages caused by super-aging with AI, while Southeast Asia is seeing increased business opportunities due to big tech companies' investments in data centers and cloud computing. In ASEAN, the productivity improvement effect of AI is projected to reach up to 18% of total GDP by 2030. Korean companies are focusing on AI medical solutions and building smart agriculture.

Opportunities are also increasing in the manufacturing sector. The United States is investing heavily in subsidies to attract production facilities to build supply chains for innovative industries such as semiconductors domestically, and Europe is strengthening the production base for key industries like electric vehicles and semiconductors. Electric vehicle manufacturing in Central Asia and petrochemical plants and energy diversification projects in the Middle East are also noteworthy. Park Sung-ho, head of KOTRA's North America regional headquarters, and Bin Jun-hwa, head of KOTRA's Southwest Asia regional headquarters, said, "Major countries competing in manufacturing are waiting for Korean companies with initial facilities, technology, and know-how to establish more production plants."

The power sector is also attracting attention as a 'plus alpha' market alongside the revitalization of manufacturing. Investments in power infrastructure such as nuclear power plants, small modular reactors (SMRs), and transmission and distribution networks are expected to become active in response to increasing power demand. The U.S. plans to invest $1.5 billion in transmission and distribution network improvements, Poland will invest $1.2 billion in smart meter installations by 2026, and Mexico plans to invest $23.4 billion in the entire power industry by 2030. This could also be a significant opportunity for Korean companies.

As K-beauty and K-food sweep the global consumer market, 'Korea' is being recognized as a global brand. Kim Seong-su, head of KOTRA's CIS regional headquarters, said, "Foods and products trending in Korea are now simultaneously popular locally," adding, "Korea itself has become a trend."

KOTRA President Kang Kyung-sung said in his opening remarks, "Change always brings opportunity," and added, "We will do our best to serve as a guide so that newly identified opportunities around the world can lead to exports by small and medium-sized enterprises." Following this, Kim Woong, Deputy Governor of the Bank of Korea, stated in his keynote lecture on next year's global economic outlook, "Amid strengthened protectionism, the mixed effects of advanced AI facility investment and growth promotion policies are expected to be key factors in achieving balanced economic growth going forward."