The Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment (MCEE, Minister Kim Sunghwan) announced that it will hold the “Water Industry Outlook 2026” event on January 22 at The Plaza Hotel (located in Jung-gu, Seoul), with the participation of representatives from the water-related industry, academia, and public institutions.

This event was organized under the theme “Turning the Climate Crisis into an Opportunity: Advancing the Future Water Industry through Advanced Climate Tech,” with the aim of sharing key issues facing the water industry amid the climate crisis and the energy and environmental transition, and of comprehensively discussing policy directions for 2026, domestic and international market outlooks, and strategies for overseas expansion.

The event will be held in two parts: Part 1, “Outlook for the Domestic Water Industry,” and Part 2, “Outlook for Overseas Expansion.”

In Part 1, the MCEE will present “Water Management Policies and Project Directions for 2026,” sharing the government’s policy stance on water management and its key priority tasks for this year. 

This will be followed by presentations from the presidents of the three major academic societies in the water sector. Yoo Chul-sang, President of the Korea Water Resources Association, Kim Doo-il, President of the Korean Society of Water and Wastewater, and Kim Seong-pyo, President of the Korean Society on Water Environment, will deliver presentations on 1) water resources security in the era of climate crisis, 2) recommendations for strengthening competitiveness and fostering innovation in the water and wastewater industry, and 3) climate change, paradigm shifts in the water environment, and corresponding responses, respectively, presenting concrete solutions for addressing the climate crisis.  

In addition, Hong Seung-kwan, President of the Korea Water Partnership, will give a presentation under the theme “Climate Tech and the Advanced Water Industry,” presenting new growth opportunities for the water industry through technological innovation in the era of energy transition. This will be followed by presentations on the key project plans for 2026 by the Korea Water Resources Corporation and the Korea Environment Corporation. 

In Part 2, practical information will be provided to support the overseas expansion of domestic companies.

Experts will introduce local water industry trends and promising fields for overseas expansion by region, including North America, the Middle East, and Central Asia. This will be followed by detailed briefings on export support programs, ranging from technology development to financial support and market development, being prioritized this year by support institutions such as the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, the National Water Industry Cluster of the Korea Environment Corporation, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, the Export-Import Bank of Korea, the Korea Overseas Infrastructure & Urban Development Corporation, and the Korea Water Partnership.

The MCEE plans to actively reflect the private sector’s recommendations derived from this event in its policies, while upgrading a full-cycle support system spanning from technology development to overseas expansion, in order to simultaneously promote domestic market activation and export growth.

Kum Hanseung, First Vice Minister of the MCEE, stated, “The water industry is a core pillar in responding to the climate crisis and a representative climate tech sector that can turn crisis into opportunity through technological innovation.” He added, “The government will strengthen support for our companies across the entire process, from technology development and commercialization to overseas expansion, in order to foster the water industry as a new national growth engine.”

For further information, please contact the Public Relations Division. 

Contact person: Gina Lee, foreign media spokesperson

Phone: +82-44-201-6055

Email: gcjgina @gmail.com