A badminton birdie that glows in the dark and a scanner that helps blind people are just two of the innovative Korean products that are now on display in Beijing.

A so-called 'technomart', which kicked off on Nov. 23 at the Beijing Technology Trading and Promotion Center, is the first to showcase new and innovative technologies and products from a South Korean science park. The program has been given the name "Beijing Gyeongbuk Technomart" (BGT).

Fourteen innovative products are on display, which mainly focus on automobiles, machinery and electronics.

The aim of the exhibition is to market and promote products and projects from Korea's Kyongbuk Technopark. New products will replace the old exhibits every two months.

Like the birdie, most of the 14 projects feature more innovation than new, sophisticated technologies. "That is the main feature of these products from South Korea," said Xia Wenhuan, Director of the Overseas Business Division at the promotion center, "They are innovative and practical," said Xia who believes there is potentially a strong demand for some of the products.

David W. Kim, International Business Development Manager with the Kyongbuk Technopark Foundation, said the developers of the 14 projects on display are very successful small and medium sized businesses in his country. "But they need to do more to tap an overseas market," he added.

Mr. Xia plans to expand the exhibition center for innovative South Korean products and hopes more South Korean entities will take advantage of the exhibition space.

Mr. Hyon Mansok, overseas marketing coordinator with Korea Technology Transfer Center, notes that South Korean companies who get some 'China experience' soon realize the importance of the China market.

Beijing is an important technology transfer market in China with import and export 'tech trade' reaching 45 billion yaun in 2005. However, Xia confirms that deals with South Korea companies have lagged behind other countries and that most contracts involve South Korean companies selling their products to China.

Both Xia and Hyon agree that this is partly due to the strong support of the Korean government, which has aggressively promoted its innovative products to the overseas market. The BGT is financed by public funds and is responsible for sponsoring Korean companies that participate in foreign trade fairs.

"We are trying to do our best to promote our (Chinese) technologies," said Xia who is working on a program to set up a similar exhibit by Chinese producers in Korea.

Chinese businesses are finding win-win partnerships with Korean companies and Beijing Northland Biotech is a good example. It has formed a partnership with a Korean listed company, ViroMed, which allows the two to share innovations in gene therapy. Northland is integrating their own expertise with their Korean partner's technology enabling it to develop their own drugs faster. And its Korean partner is doing the same. "It is a win-win result," said its president Mr. Xu Songshan.

By People's Daily Online