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“WATER KOREA 2026,” the Largest International Water Industry Exhibition in the Republic of Korea, to Be Held in Busan for the First Time in 10 Years

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Busan Water Authority of Busan Metropolitan City (hereinafter referred to as “the Authority”) announced that it will host the “International Water Industry Expo 2026 (WATER KOREA)” at BEXCO for three days from March 18 to March 20, beginning with the opening ceremony on March 18.

Under the theme “Smart Water Blue Future,” the expo will present various programs focused on responding to the climate crisis and digital transformation. The event will share the latest trends and explore ways to advance water supply and wastewater management systems. The opening ceremony is scheduled to take place at 11:00 a.m. on March 18 at BEXCO Exhibition Hall 1.

The “International Water Industry Expo,” which returns to Busan for the first time in 10 years since 2016, is an exhibition designed to promote the domestic water industry and provide a venue for cooperation among related professionals. Visitors will be able to view advanced equipment and the latest technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI), used in the domestic water industry.

The event is jointly hosted and organized by Busan Metropolitan City and the Korea Water and Wastewater Works Association, with support from the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and other organizations including K-water, Korea Environment Corporation, Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute, and Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency. Since its launch in 2002, the expo had been held annually in December, but beginning in 2012 it has been organized in connection with World Water Day (March 22) in order to enhance the intrinsic value of the water industry and maximize its international impact.

A total of 216 companies will participate in the expo, operating 609 promotional booths. Approximately 20,000 visitors are expected to attend, and corporate outcomes such as investment attraction are projected to reach around 60 billion won.

Participating companies represent various sectors including water and wastewater construction, water treatment equipment, pipes, manholes and valves, facility operation, measuring instruments, AI-based smart water and wastewater systems, investigation and diagnostic services, testing and analysis, and sludge treatment and cleaning. The exhibition will provide a platform for companies to attract investment and expand market opportunities.

In addition to product exhibitions of water treatment technologies and equipment, a variety of programs will be held, including a job fair, export purchasing consultation meetings, seminars, a sports event, a thesis contest, and academic conferences.

The event will also provide an opportunity to share the latest global technologies in the water industry, including digital transformation in water treatment (AX·DX), sinkhole prevention technologies, and eco-friendly alternative energy technologies. Industry, academia, research institutes, and government will come together to explore sustainable future development directions.

In particular, unlike previous years, Busan Metropolitan City will operate its own dedicated promotional pavilion to emphasize the importance of the water intake source diversification project. The exhibition will also host the Environmental Industry Youth Job Fair, which is expected to increase young people’s interest in the water industry and help address companies’ recruitment difficulties.

Centered on the messages of “safe and clean drinking water” and “regional coexistence,” the city will actively promote the importance of diversifying water intake sources. In collaboration with the Busan Economic Promotion Agency, the Environmental Industry Youth Job Fair will also be held to facilitate job matching and serve as a gateway for attracting future talent.

Meanwhile, for the first time this year, the city will establish a joint corporate pavilion supporting 10 Busan-based water industry companies, strengthening cooperation with local firms and promoting the excellence of companies based in Busan.

The 10 participating companies are S-Tech Co., Ltd., Flowork Research Institute Co., Ltd., Jun Engineering Co., Ltd., Beyond Ocean, HiClean Co., Ltd., SMFab Co., Ltd., Aquacell Co., Ltd., DH Tech Co., Ltd., YB Engineering Co., Ltd., and Easy Evertech Co., Ltd.

The city will support participating companies by organizing new technology exhibitions and purchasing consultation meetings to expand their market opportunities, as well as by subsidizing part of their exhibition participation fees. The ten Busan-based companies, operating in fields such as equipment manufacturing, leak detection, pipeline inspection, eco-friendly systems, pipeline cleaning, and water treatment, will showcase their latest technologies developed in-house at the expo.

Mayor Park Heong-joon stated, “As the domestic water industry accelerates its transition toward smart and eco-friendly systems, WATER KOREA will serve as a stage demonstrating that Busan is a city where the future of smart water management can be directly experienced.” He added, “Through the successful hosting of the expo returning to Busan after ten years, we will provide practical business opportunities for domestic and international companies and lead the development of water-related industries.”