Korea, Italy Need to Strengthen Ties in Nuclear, Healthcare Sectors

The Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) held a Korea-Italy Business Forum on Sept. 5 to promote economic cooperation and expand business exchanges between the two countries.

The event, held at the Lotte Hotel Seoul, was attended by key figures representing the governments and business communities of both countries, including Valentino Valentini, deputy minister of enterprise and Made in Italy, Park Jong-won, deputy minister for international trade and legal affairs at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and Emilia Gatto, Italian ambassador to Korea.

During the opening ceremony, Jeong Cheol, president of the Korea Economic Research Institute, emphasized, “While both countries hold important positions in the global economy as top 10 trading nations, the scale of trade and industrial scope remain limited to certain areas. Now, we need to expand cooperation into future-oriented fields such as low-carbon energy infrastructure like nuclear power and healthcare.” He added, “As a powerhouse in nuclear power plant construction, Korea can be the optimal partner in Italy’s process of reintroducing nuclear power. Both countries, facing the common challenge of aging populations, also have immense potential for cooperation in the healthcare sector.” Jeong expressed hope that this forum would serve as a turning point for new cooperation, leading to a healthier and more long-term cooperative relationship based on the achievements the two countries have gradually built.

The forum consisted of a special panel discussion on “Korea-Italy Economic Cooperation and Prospects” followed by sessions in four areas: advanced industries, circular economy, infrastructure, and healthcare. In the afternoon, a total of 80 companies, 40 from each country, discussed specific cooperation plans through business-to-business (B2B) meetings and explored the possibility of pursuing practical partnerships, including the signing of memorandums of understanding (MOUs).