2023 KSP Regional Seminar in Europe Ended with a Success

The "2023 Knowledge Sharing Program (KSP) Regional Seminar in Europe" was held in Belgrade, Serbia on September 18, 2023. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF) and co-organized by the Korea Development Institute (KDI) and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA).

The seminar was attended by high-ranking officials from KSP partner countries, including Ana Brnabic, the Prime Minister of Serbia, and Rafayel Gevorgyan, the Minister of Economy of Armenia. Participants included government officials and experts from the regional partner countries of KSP such as Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Albania, and Romania.

By 2023, KSP has carried out a total of 64 projects with 16 countries and the Visegrad Group in Europe. The seminar was organized to discuss ways to overcome the economic downturn caused by recent climate and energy crises in the European region and achieve sustainable innovative growth. In particular, this year's event focused on proposing practical cooperation measures among the various partners in the field of innovation economics, which has seen high demand in Europe recently. 
 

“Both the public and private sectors need to formulate innovation strategies to achieve a sustainable economy”

Mr. Woong-Ki Sohn, the Deputy Director General of the MOEF, stated in his opening remarks, "In the era of global compounded crises, innovation is a key driver of growth. The Korean government is actively pursuing a digital transformation strategy and the development of future advanced industries on a national scale." He emphasized that “Both Korea and Europe require innovation strategies in both the public and private sectors to leap towards a sustainable economy.”
 

“Korea is the best partner for sharing knowledge and experience”

Ana Brnabic, the Prime Minister of Serbia, shared the results of the visit to Korea in early September, saying, "Korea is the best partner country for sharing knowledge and experience." and emphasized that "KSP is a powerful means of enhancing Serbia's institutional capacity and realizing the sharing of knowledge.“

“Knowledge-Based Cooperation Strategy for Achieving an Innovation-Driven Economy”

The main session consisted of three sub-sessions. In the first and second sessions, experts from both Korea and KSP partner countries participated as presenters and panelists, discussing the achievements of the featured KSP projects from Serbia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Slovakia and relevant Korean experiences in the field of smart city, e-government and smart-industrial zone. 

In the final session, discussions focused on the development of innovative industries such as green energy and bio technology to create new growth drivers and cooperation strategies for KSP and Economic Innovation Partnership Program (EIPP).

Alongside the Regional Seminar, “Business Forum” was organized by the Republic of Korea Embassy in Serbia and KOTRA Belgrade Trade Office, providing an opportunity for Korean businesses to expand their networks with Serbian governments and private companies.

The event was attended by approximately 120 participants, marking the highest number in the record of regional seminars and confirming the strong interest of European countries in KSP.

 

Written by: Nayun Kang, Head of Policy Consultation Team 2, Center for International Development  +82-44-550-4287, nykang@kdi.re.kr