KEPCO President Kim Jong-kap and other dignitaries attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the 2019 Bigaram International Exposition of Electric Technology (BIXPO 2019) at the Kimdaejung Convention Center on Nov. 6.

The 2019 Bigaram International Exposition of Electric Technology (BIXPO 2019), designed to look at future energy industries, wrapped up a three-day run at the Kimdaejung Convention Center on Nov. 8. The expo coincided with a new technology exhibition and an international patent expo.

BIXPO 2019 was held under the theme “Digital Platform (Hyper-Connectivity) & Mega Shift. Two hundred and ninety-nine exhibitors, including Siemens, participated in the new technology exhibition to showcase the latest technologies.

Prof. Cha Sang-gyun of Seoul National University, a global expert in the big data sector, gave a keynote speech on the future energy field during the opening session.

In his speech, President Kim Jong-kap of Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO), said, “I wish you will imagine the future picture of a hyper-connectivity society, being tightly connected digitally like as IoT, big data and AI.”

Kim expressed hope that BIXPO will serve as a treasure trove to explore the new horizon of the electricity industry.

The expo debuted in 2015 to build the Bigaram Innovative City of Naju into a global energy hub.
BIXPO has established itself as the nation’s largest energy exposition. BIXPO has become a place to demonstrate new global technologies and a place to conduct one-on-one business negotiations.

During the expo period, exhibitors held one-on-one negotiations with foreign buyers involved in over 424 trade cases. Out of the total, 18 trade cases worth a combined $33.22 million were concluded, an expo official said.

A view of the 2019 Bigaram International Exposition of Electric Technology. (Photos: KEPCO)

In particular, 60 buyers from 20 countries were invited in cooperation with KOTRA for trade negotiations to spur Korean SMEs’ exports. The figure represented a three-fold jump compared to the previous year.

Forty-five companies and institutions participated in the Energy Valley Job Fair in which 1,600 students and job seekers held consultations and had interviews.

Five applicants were hired on the spot, and 14 companies plan to determine their employment, depending on the outcomes of a second interview they will hold with 53 job seekers.

About 400 people, including Korean and foreign VIPs and award winners, participated in the closing session.

Thirty teams from five sectors won prizes at the international patent exhibition and four teams were presented with prizes at a startup investment contest.

BIXPO 2019 attracted about 28,000 Korean and foreign spectators, contributing to reinvigorating the local economy.

During BIXPO 2019, a temporary marketplace of specialty products from the Gwangju and Jeollanam-do area was installed outside of the Kimdaejung Convention Center, and an open concert by KBS TV took place at the gymnasium of Kwangju Women’s University.

More energy companies and power experts participated and introduced new technologies than ever before, and business negotiations were also held, a KEPCO official said. BIXPO served as an opportunity to make known to the world Korea’s energy technology and competitiveness and help Korean prominent SMEs explore overseas markets, he added.