EU Business Hub @ ENVEX 2026

EU Business Hub @ ENVEX 2026 will select up to 50 European SMEs and start-ups to visit the Republic of Korea to kick-start their internationalisation path in the Green and Low-Carbon Technologies sector. The EU Business Hub will provide an EU Pavilion – with a booth for each participating company – at the ENVEX 2026 exhibition, a valuable platform for companies to showcase their products and services, demonstrations, networking and customer acquisition.

The business mission will take place from 18 - 22 May 2026 and provides an excellent opportunity for networking and connecting with potential Korean business partners and industry leaders. At the EU Pavilion, a dedicated team of business coaching staff and professional interpreters will be available to promote each European company’s products and technologies, assuring maximum exposure to exhibition visitors. A networking event during the mission will also increase the opportunities to connect with potential business partners and clients.

Target audience

European SMEs, including start-ups and innovative enterprises, active in the Green and Low-Carbon Technologies industry or related sectors, across all parts of the value chain, such as:

• Clean energy technologies (e.g. carbon management, hydrogen, renewable energy, biogas, …)
• Water treatment technologies (e.g. wastewater treatment water purification and desalination, …)
• Environmental monitoring analysis and assessment equipment
• Circularity and waste treatment solutions
• Environmental and climate change mitigation technologies/solutions.

Business operators in the Republic of Korea, especially:

• Buyers and distributors
• R&D institutions and partners (both public and private)
• Investors with interest in green and low-carbon technologies

Overview of the business mission

The business mission to Seoul will last five days in total, including three days of dedicated business matchmaking and networking at ENVEX 2026, a business networking reception, a study tour, and many more activities.

The business mission agenda is as follows:

• Day 1: Arrival in Seoul, welcome & networking gathering.
• Day 2: Industry intelligence and sector briefing sessions and study tour.
• Day 3: Exhibition at ENVEX 2026 and business matchmaking sessions
• Day 4: Exhibition at ENVEX 2026 and business matchmaking sessions
• Day 5: Exhibition at ENVEX 2026 and business matchmaking sessions, debriefing session.
   

Services/benefits the EU participants will be receiving

• Business matchmaking resulting in pre-arranged in-person meetings with carefully selected enterprises in the Republic of Korea.
• Market intelligence including sectoral briefings providing valuable insights on market structure and potential opportunities.
• Cultural and linguistic support such as briefings on doing business in the RoK and support for interpretation and translation.
• Financial support for additional customised services co-funded by the project (e.g. translation, printing, legal advice, booth decoration covered for 80% and up to €1,000).
• Hotel accommodation for four nights – in total, up to €1,000 for accommodation is covered by the programme (1 room/company for 4 nights)
• Coverage of the exhibitor fee at ENVEX 2026 
   

Key market insights

Participating to EU Business Hub @ ENVEX 2026 represents a unique opportunity for European SMEs and start-ups because:

• The Republic of Korea is Asia’s 4th and the World’s 12th economy. ¹
• EU exports to the Republic of Korea in 2024 amounted to €55.7 billion in goods. ²
• The South Korean government announced its National Framework Plan for Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth in April 2023. The plan defined the nation’s power generation and GHG reduction targets by 2050. It also sets sector-specific reduction targets of approximately 40% less than 2018 levels.³
• Public and private sectors plan to jointly explore markets in line with the government’s green industry export strategy and will establish a €268.8 million green export fund until 2028 to support promising projects. ⁴
• The South Korean government aims to achieve €67.18 billion in green industry exports by 2027. ⁵
• In 2024, the South Korean government released the world’s first auction for clean hydrogen power generation, positioning the country as a leader in the global shift toward a sustainable and clean energy transition. ⁶

1. Source: Trade Fact File 2025 EU-Korea Trade and Investment Relations, European Union. (Internal document)
2. Source: Trade Fact File 2025 EU-Korea Trade and Investment Relations, European Union. (Internal document)
3. Source: 1st Master Plan for Carbon Neutrality and Green Growth,  2050 Carbon Neutrality of the Republic of Korea
4. Source: Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea (Amount converted to Euro)
5. Source: Ministry of Environment, Republic of Korea (Amount converted to Euro)
6. Source: “South Korea launches world’s first auction for clean hydrogen power generation”, Hydrogen insights