This success story comes from providing the following services: Korea Trade Missions and Market Visit Assistance
The Agricultural Research Organization, Volcani Center, the largest agricultural research institution in Israel, sought to expand its global reach and share its innovations in agriculture and environmental protection with key players in the international market. With South Korea emerging as a strategic partner in the field of agriculture, Volcani Center saw an opportunity to showcase its expertise and build partnerships in the country. However, with language and cultural barriers to overcome and logistics to arrange, Volcani Center turned to KOISRA, to help them navigate the market and make the most out of their participation in agricultural exhibition in South Korea.
TARGET - SHOWCASING AGRICULTURAL INNOVATIONS IN KOREA
Volcani Center aimed to showcase its research and development activities at the 2015 International Agricultural Exhibition in Naju, South Korea, to expand its network and promote cooperation with Korean agricultural companies and government ministries.
CHALLENGE - OVERCOMING LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL BARRIERS
Volcani Center faced several challenges in achieving its goals, including:
- Language barrier: Most of the Korean visitors and participants were not fluent in English, which could hinder effective communication and knowledge sharing.
- Cultural differences: Israeli and Korean agricultural practices and priorities differ, which could impact the relevance and applicability of Volcani Center's technologies and innovations in the Korean market.
- Limited resources: Volcani Institute had limited knowledge and experience in navigating the Korean market and building partnerships with local companies and institutions
WORK PROCEDURE – BOOTH MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS MATCHMAKING
KOISRA addressed these challenges by providing the following services:
- Booth management: KOISRA's team helped to manage the booth of Volcani Center during the exhibition, ensuring effective communication with Korean visitors and participants and showcasing Volcani Center's research activities and innovations.
- Business matchmaking: KOISRA representatives accompanied Volcani Center between the exhibition pavilions of various Korean agricultural companies and bodies, helping to understand their products, problems, and technological solutions in the local industry. Additionally, the parties held meetings with representatives of Korean agricultural companies who expressed interest in using the agricultural technologies developed at Volcani Institute.
- Cultural and linguistic support: KOISRA's team provided cultural and linguistic support to Volcani Center's representatives, ensuring that they could effectively communicate and build relationships with Korean counterparts.
RESULT – SUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATION AND NEW BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
The collaboration between Volcani Center and KOISRA resulted in several positive outcomes, including:
Successful participation: The participation of Volcani Center in the 2015 International Agricultural Exhibition ended successfully, with the designed pavilion built to showcase its research activities and innovations, attracting around 700 thousand visitors and 350 representatives from 20 different countries.
New business opportunities: Volcani Institute's representatives had fruitful meetings with Korean agricultural companies who expressed interest in using the agricultural technologies developed at Volcani Institute. This could lead to potential business partnerships in the future.
Increased network and cooperation: Professor Shanan Harpaz, deputy of the Volcani Institute, met with the president of the Korean Agricultural Research Institute of Jeollanam-do District and various government ministries in the field of agriculture. The parties discussed the deepening of cooperation between Israel and Korea on a research and business level, with representatives of the ministries invited for a reciprocal visit to Israel.