Korea to consolidate scattered water industry functions under new promotion institute

The Ministry of Climate, Environment and Energy said Thursday it plans to establish a Korea Water Industry Promotion Institute, tentatively named, to foster the water industry as a strategic sector. The new institute would integrate and restructure water industry promotion functions currently scattered across separate agencies.

The agencies to be integrated include the Korea Water Technology Institute, the National Water Industry Cluster, the National Water Equipment Performance Certification Center, the Korea Water and Wastewater Works Association and the Korea Water Industry Council.

Earlier, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment enacted the Act on the Development of Water Management Technology and the Promotion of the Water Industry in 2018. It also established the National Water Industry Cluster to foster the water industry. However, different agencies have since carried out related support functions separately.

In practice, the National Water Industry Cluster conducts experiments needed for demonstration and certification, while the Korea Water Technology Institute handles certification itself. The National Water Industry Cluster and the Korea Water Industry Council handle support for commercialization and overseas expansion, and the Korea Water and Wastewater Works Association designates excellent products. This fragmented process has repeatedly raised calls to consolidate water industry promotion and corporate support functions.

In response, the ministry plans for the new institute to serve as an umbrella organization supporting promising water companies from discovery through technology development, commercialization, demonstration, certification and overseas expansion. The goal is to systematically foster the water industry as a national strategic industry.

The ministry plans to form a council involving the agencies subject to integration as early as September. The council will discuss key issues such as the integration process, organizational structure and the detailed scope of work. It also plans to begin revising the Act on Water Management Technology and Water Industry Promotion within the year to lay the legal groundwork for consolidating the support functions.

Geum Han-seung, first vice minister of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, said, "In the era of the climate crisis and AI, the water industry must be strategically fostered to strengthen public safety while supporting the growth of advanced industries." He added, "By bringing together water industry support functions that had been scattered, we will systematically back the growth of water companies and build a solid foundation for the domestic water industry to expand not only at home but around the world."