"Comprehensive Support for Overseas Construction Orders"…Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference Held

The Nation's Largest Infrastructure Cooperation Meeting
Supporting the Maintenance of $30 Billion in Overseas Construction Orders
Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Holds High-Level Talks with Indonesia and Others

Samsung C&T is constructing the KL118 Tower in Malaysia using BIM technology.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 14th that it will hold the 'Global Infrastructure Cooperation Conference (GICC 2021)' as a hybrid event both online and offline at the Shilla Hotel in Jangchung-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul, for two days starting from the 15th to support all-around overseas construction contract acquisition.

The event will invite high-level officials such as overseas ministers and vice ministers to conduct high-level meetings, project briefings, and one-on-one business meetings. Through this, our companies will be provided with information on new project orders and opportunities for personal exchanges with overseas clients.

First launched in 2013, this event is now in its 9th year and has generated approximately $3 billion in actual contract achievements annually.

Last year's event was held entirely online due to the spread of COVID-19, but this year it will be held simultaneously online and offline in accordance with the 'With COVID-19' policy. Domestic companies, related organizations, and research institutes will attend on-site, while overseas clients will connect online to conduct video meetings with the Korean side.

This year's opening ceremony will begin on-site with an opening address by Park Sun-ho, President of the Overseas Construction Association, and a welcome speech by Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Noh Hyung-wook, followed by video congratulatory messages from the Minister of Transport of Iraq, the Minister of Transport of Indonesia, and the Deputy Minister of Infrastructure of Poland (Special Envoy for the New Airport).

In particular, the keynote speakers of this year's event consist of experts from various fields to share the core trends and development directions of global construction with construction companies and the public attending both online and offline.

High-level intergovernmental meetings will also be held. The Minister and the first and second vice ministers of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will discuss specific bilateral cooperation plans in the infrastructure sector through meetings with 15 ministers and vice ministers from 15 institutions in 11 countries, including the Minister of Transport of Indonesia, the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Housing of Kenya, and the Deputy Minister of Transport of Iraq.

First, cooperation projects through investment and development-type projects between Kenya and Bangladesh will be discussed, such as the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway and the Meghna Bridge construction projects.

Discussions with Indonesia, Iraq, and Poland will focus on ways for Korean companies to participate in major local infrastructure projects such as the Jakarta-Bali railway project and Bekasi test track in Indonesia, port development and railway projects in Iraq, and the new Warsaw airport in Poland.

Project briefings for a total of 47 institutions and over 50 projects, including major clients such as the Vietnam Airports Corporation and the Peru Investment Agency, will also be disclosed online.

For participants in the project briefings, about 80 online meetings will be held through prior matching with Korean companies to support the formation of personal networks through individual consultations with clients who are otherwise difficult to contact.

Additionally, the 'Korea-Saudi Housing Cooperation Meeting' will be held to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on housing cooperation with the Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing, and the 'Korea-China Construction Cooperation Forum,' jointly promoted by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the China Overseas Construction Association, will also be conducted via video conference.

Minister Noh Hyung-wook of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said, "In addition to diplomatic support, we will actively seek and implement various support measures to improve overseas construction contract acquisition conditions, such as financial support using national policy funds, negotiation support with clients in case of force majeure events like COVID-19, and provision of legal advice."

The GICC event's opening ceremony, seminars, and forums can be viewed by anyone on YouTube, and companies wishing to participate in various briefings and consultations can register on the event website.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.