K-water to hold forum Thursday; expert lectures, panel discussion aimed at building collaborative ecosystem
Korea Water Resources Corporation (K-water) announced Wednesday it will host the "2026 Climate Tech Innovation Forum" Thursday afternoon, starting at 2 p.m., at the Town Hall on the third floor of TIPS Town in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. The event aims to foster an innovation ecosystem in the climate tech and water industry sectors.
The forum is being held in conjunction with the 2026 Startup Korea Investment Week, the largest startup festival in the Daejeon region. It will bring together climate tech experts, innovative startups, investors and representatives from industry, academia and research institutions to share ideas and build a collaborative ecosystem.
The forum is divided into three sessions. The first, an expert lecture session, will feature presentations by K-water and Korea Science and Technology Holdings on strategies for nurturing the climate tech industry in the era of carbon neutrality and on building a Mega Water Cluster and startup ecosystem.
The second session, titled "Challenges of Innovative Companies," will feature climate tech startups Superbin and Carbon Energy sharing their experiences attracting investment and preparing for initial public offerings, as well as new carbon-neutrality market opportunities in the AI infrastructure industry.
The third session will be a panel discussion moderated by Kang Shin-hyung, a professor at Chungnam National University, with presenters joining to discuss the topic "Climate Tech: What Is the Government's Role?" A live Q&A using the online participation platform Slido will also be held.
After the official sessions, attendees, investors and representatives from the climate tech and startup sectors will have time for open networking and business exchanges to expand collaboration.
The forum is free and open to anyone with an interest in climate tech, the water industry or deep tech, including corporate representatives, investors and related organizations. Pre-registration is available through the "Pre-registration Events" menu on the official Startup Korea Investment Week website, and on-site registration will also be available on the day of the event.
Han Seong-yong, head of K-water's Green Infrastructure Division, said building connections with innovative climate tech companies and fostering a supportive ecosystem is more urgent than ever in the effort to overcome the climate crisis and secure a sustainable future. "We hope this forum will serve as a venue where market experts, innovative companies and investors can come together to lay the groundwork for meaningful cooperation," he said.
thlee@heraldcorp.com
