Strengthening mobility solutions for South Korea

Knowledge exchange with leading Korean rail innovators

Initiated by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy in cooperation with the German (VDB) and Korean (KORASS) Railway Industry Associations, the Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry and further partners, the aim of this exchange was to spark new business collaborations.

The agenda of the week-long program featured site visits, company and capability presentations as well as numerous B2B meetings and networking opportunities with some of South Korea’s most innovative organizations in the railway sector, including:

• Great Train eXpress (GTX) – a novel high-speed commuter rail network in the Seoul Metropolitan Area creating one of the fastest metro systems in the world, scheduled for completion in 2030
• Busan Transportation Corporation – operating metro and light rail transit lines in the cities of Busan and Gimhae
• Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL) High Speed Maintenance Depot – a national railway operator and their rolling stock maintenance department, connecting people safely across the nation
• Korea Railroad Research Institute (KRRI) – the country’s leading innovator in railway technology exploring novel public transport solutions
• Woojin Industrial Systems – a manufacturer of rolling stock and key electronic components, including metro, electric bus, peoplemover and monorail vehicles
• Sung Shin Rolling Stock Technology (RST) – another Korean rolling stock and equipment manufacturing company based in the city of Haman

Exploring opportunities to innovate together

The South Korean rail industry is heavily state-governed. It comprises high-speed trains, complex subway and metro systems as well as freight transport. Climate policies and urban congestion relief play central roles. The government is investing heavily in modernizing public transport to strengthen its effectiveness and efficiencies, like the GTX high-speed commuter rail network.

The country’s most profitable sector remains vehicle production. Rail technology exports reached nearly $900 million in 2024, with imports coming primarily from China, the U.S. and Germany.

In many technical areas, as well as in terms of reliability and quality, Germany is regarded as a role model. The South Korean market is highly tech-savvy. This creates opportunities for collaborations that combine the strengths of both worlds to create superior technology solutions.

“We look forward to jointly exploring new exciting areas of collaboration,” says Bay. “To keep innovating sensor technology and sustainable mobility solutions – for the benefit of people and businesses in South Korea and around the globe.”