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From Korea with promise

Solar-powered laptop batteries, kids programming microprocessors and miniature cameras

Forty Australian and Korean companies are meeting today and tomorrow in Melbourne – to share ideas, technologies and markets.

Both countries are set to benefit. We spend $6 billion a year on Korean goods, and they spend $13 billion on minerals, food and energy. But working together we can access global markets.

Korean computer users have the fastest internet services in the world, nearly 27 times faster than Australia.

Pivotec, which designed and implemented the national Internet backbone network in Korea, is one of the Korean companies represented in the ‘Techno Caravan’ trade delegation.

Other innovations being discussed include:

  • A solar-powered battery charger for mobile telephones and laptops

  • Easy-to-use software that developing country farmers can use for example to control glasshouses, and that school children can use to create communication pads for their autistic school-friends

  • A remote-controlled miniature camera on flexible wire that can be used to inspect engines

  • Edunite, a Microsoft.Net-based software product that provides parents, teachers and the school real-time access to a student’s performance. Already in use in 20 schools throughout Germany, this product supports PDA use by teachers in the classroom and is claimed to double their productivity.

  • An SMS service based on mobile instant messaging (MIM) software which has the potential to half the error rates associated with transport logistics.

  • Nanobits, a learning package for teenagers and young adults, which allows them to see, touch, build and wear nanotechnology. This particular product is an introductory package comprising 12 experiments which demonstrate the underlying principles of nanotechnology — engineering at the atomic and molecular level.

  • A testing laboratory for electrical appliances. SGS Testing is offering to help Koreans fulfil stringent Australian electrical safety and product certification requirements.

  • Mobile Live Pen, a pen that can read and speak words by touching one part of a page.

The mission will be welcomed by Victorian Minister for Industry and State Development, Theo Theophanous at a cocktail party on Wednesday evening – media are welcome.

The Techno Caravan is being organised with support from the Australian Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (AEEMA), the Korean Industry Technology Foundation (KOTEF) and ITECplace.

Background

South Korea is already Australia’s third largest customer — buying more than $13 billion dollars worth of energy, minerals, food products and services last year. And increasingly Koreans are eating dairy products from Victoria and drinking Victorian wine.

In return Australians have an insatiable appetite for Korean technology: televisions, cars, and IT in particular. We buy over $6 billion dollars worth of Korean goods each year.

The Korean trade mission, referred to as a Techno Caravan will build on and extend these existing trade relations.

The Korean delegates will help their Australian counterparts to adjust to supplying Asian businesses. And the Australians will in turn assist their Korean associates in adapting to the expectations of Western customers with the shared objective of targeting global markets.

Angus M Robinson, AEEMA CEO says, “Although both Australia and Korea are small in comparison to the economies of China and the USA, by joining forces, the Australian-Korean alliance is planning to become a formidable global competitor in the niche markets being targeted by the Techno Caravan.

And that’s what he says the Techno Caravan, is all about — Australian and Korean businesses sharing ideas and technologies and turning those ideas into new joint market opportunities.

This business matching event is the third to be hosted by ITECplace this year, says Bill Petreski, director ITECplace, the international innovation partnering service which is hosting the workshop, and one of the workshop conveners. “In May ITECplace held a telematics workshop which introduced 7 businesses from Taiwan to 20 local companies, generating 14 partnerships that resulted in four signed deals which are forecast to be in the 10s of millions of dollars over the next three years. And in June a second workshop was held in the UK which resulted in 2 deals, one of which is a $6 million investment in an Australian company.”

The business matching workshop is being held on:

  • Thursday 25 October 2007

  • 9am to 5pm

  • at the LaTrobe Technology Park, Enterprise Centre, 2 Research Av, Bundoora.

The cocktail party is being held at:

  • Wednesday 24 October 2007

  • 5:30pm to 7:00pm

  • State Government Investment Centre

  • Level 46/55 Collins St, Melbourne

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General enquiries: please contact the people and organisations mentioned in our media releases

Media: for more information please contact Niall Byrne, Science in Public, niall@scienceinpublic.com.au, ph +61 (3) 9398 1416.