Dr Olivia Ogilvie: "I wanted to upskill and gain knowledge of this market, so I could confidently do business there in the future."
Why did you want to apply for the Cleantech visit? What was it about the programme that inspired you to apply?
My motivation was two-fold. First, the pull was from the alignment with Opo Bio’s business focus (developing ingredients, specifically cell lines, for biomanufacturing applications, including cultivated meat and collagen) and the drive to build new connections in this market.
Korea is a massive player in the global biomanufacturing industry (making things from animal cells). They have extensive manufacturing facilities, several leading companies within the biomanufacturing supply chain, and an enabling regulatory environment for technologies like cultivated meat (and, consequently, a robust ecosystem of companies).
Additionally, the Korean market is a global force in producing collagen-containing products, which we are actively exploring and building connections.
My second motivation was to learn more about the Korean market/business environment due to its leadership in the technology and biotech sectors. I wanted to upskill and gain knowledge of this market so I could confidently do business there in the future.
I was also excited to connect, learn about and learn from the other cleantech leaders/companies on the delegation!
What sorts of things did you guys get up to in South Korea?
It was a jam-packed schedule from day one, which is when we visited the DMZ or demilitarised zone. This was an eye-opening starting experience, providing historical context on the business and cultural environment we'd be operating in for the rest of the trip.
The next four days were filled with site visits to Korean corporates, government organisations, and not-for-profits leading in the cleantech space.
The companies we visited ranged from LGChem, which makes a range of high-tech products, including chemicals, batteries, and medicines, to CJ Foods, a leading producer of food products globally.
At each organisation, we met leaders driving internal (or countrywide, in the case of government organisations) innovation towards implementing or developing cleantech solutions.
Olivia got to pitch Opo Bio's technology to investors and industry stakeholders
The delegation's journey reached its climax with a compelling pitch evening, where we had the privilege of presenting to a full room of investors and industry stakeholders.
This was followed by an event at the New Zealand Ambassador's residence, marking the successful conclusion of our trip. We left Korea with many new connections within the Korean market, knowledge of the challenges faced by the companies we visited, and examples of large-scale cleantech implementation to solve those challenges.
What was the highlight of the visit for you from a cleantech perspective?
It’s hard to pick just one! In particular, I was impressed by the large-scale implementation of electronics recycling.
We visited an electronics recycling facility called KECO which is one of a national network of ecycling facilities. They recycled all types of home appliances and electronics with efficiency and precision.
It was an amazing view into what could be possible here in New Zealand and that electronics and home appliances don't have to go landfill!
Visiting a large-scale electronics recycling plant was one a highlight of the visit for Olivia
What were your impressions of South Korea?
The cleantech delegation was my first time visiting South Korea, and it was an amazing experience. It was also the first country I’ve travelled to where trusty Google Maps didn’t work—this was my first impression when getting off the plane, haha.
I loved the people and culture—everyone was kind, welcoming, and trusting.
At many of the companies we visited, we were greeted by a welcoming party and given lovely gifts and delicious food.
Some shops had no staff, with owners trusting the public to purchase and do their business without supervision.
These experiences impressed me and made me feel safe and welcome!
I really enjoyed trying the delicious new foods and food experiences! I’ve now added a couple more recipes to my list that I’ve been making at home for my friends and family.
How did the visit benefit you and your company?
Having been on the trip, I now understand how the Korean cleantech and general business landscape operates and am confident I can take the next step in that market when we are ready.
Additionally, I’ve made some great connections with ‘connectors’ within the ecosystem who I’ll reach out to in the future, including the NZTE folks in Seoul and other Kiwis operating in the Korean market.
Hopefully, these benefits will enable us to more confidently operate within the Korean market and other similar markets in the future.
Outside of the delegation’s set events I also had the opportunity to meet with multiple companies operating within the novel biomanufacturing niche, including media development companies and cultivated meat producers.
We took the first step in developing long-term mutually beneficial relationships with multiple companies.
What was it like travelling with a group of fellow Cleantech business leaders?
Olivia says travelling with fellow cleantech entrepreneurs made the visit that much richer
The other leaders in the cohort were a highlight of the delegation! It was a pleasure to spend time and learn from the breadth of experience of those who were on the delegation and spend time getting to know them.
Everyone was so passionate about cleantech in general, and the company they were representing. One of the highlights outside of the set delegation programme was a baseball game we attended!
Why is cleantech such an important sector?
The world is currently faced by challenges with climate change and ecosystem disruption) while virtually everything that causes climate change has an increasing demand (transport, fuel, waste, food). We need new technologies to overcome these challenges and clean technologies are the answer!
The Foundation's business programme supports New Zealand companies to better understand Asia so they can make the most of opportunities in the region. We are also focussed on growing the next generation of Asia-savvy business leaders.
The cleantech South Korea visit was jointly run by the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE).