link: http://www.bsnicluster.com/202108_sub03.html

KOAI was established as a startup in 2017 when it was planning a large-scale international event exhibition held on the 10th anniversary of the Hubei Spirit Oil Spill Accident.     

I met the CEO of KOAI Park Kyung-taek, who is developing marine pollution prevention instruments for the environment and people.
 

Q1.I heard that KOAI’s project has ranked No. 1 in Busan and No. 7 across the nation in the nationwide evaluation since the national innovation cluster of non-R&D support. Congratulations. Please talk about KOAI.

KOAI is an expert marine pollution prevention instrument manufacturer. I have built my career in plastic mold manufacturing and forming field for more than 20 years. Based on that experience, we have performed a national R&D project to develop many marine pollution prevention instruments. We post over KRW 1.5 billion cumulative sales through commercialized products.

The product made through an opportunity to challenge via R&D three years ago has gained good responses from users including Korean Coast Guard.

We have receivedgratitude from users for making actually usable products and we are currently supplying three types of equipment to the Korean Coast Guard
 

Q2. What are KOAI’s major technologies and products?

We have the following major technologies:

1. Super water-friendly nano surface treatment technology 

2. Spilled oil information obtaining technology using drones

3. Non-powered spilled oil collecting device technology towed by a small fishing boat

4. One-man work-possible backpack spilled oil collecting device technology 

5. Unmanned self-propelling spilled oil collecting device technology

KOAI has the following major products:

1. Product quickly scooping out exclusivelyoil within 10 seconds with the oil scooper 

2. One-man backpack spilled oil collecting device 

3. Automatic spilled oil collecting device over a large area 

4. Spilled oil collecting product that floats on the water.

We have diverse types of spilled oil collecting equipment

Q3. What is your motive to apply for the National Innovation Cluster (non-R&D) Project?
 

After establishing KOAI in 2017, we applied for the project to developthe unmanned automatic spilled oil collecting device, through which a pollution elimination worker’s role is minimized. We also fused existing non-powered spilled oil collecting devices with cutting-edge IoT technology three years after the R&D project ended.

Q4. I heard that KOAI had a plan to enter foreign markets, but it failed due to COVID-19. The overseas sales channel is recently open, so what is the future of KOAI?

 

KOAI has developed four types of spilled oil collecting equipment within three years of its establishment.

We are steadily carrying out co-research alongside the Korean Coast Guard and Korean Marine Environment Management Corporation. In 2021, our participation in overseas exhibitions such as Rotterdam EUROPORT and Abu Dhabi ADIPEC in November is confirmed. We plan to participate in two domestic exhibitions including Korea Ocean Expo as well.

Q5. What do you want Busan Technopark (National Innovation Cluster Project) or Busan City to do?

 

The National Innovation Cluster Project that gives hope to startups and supplementslacking technological capabilities will be of great help for startups in Busan. I cordially ask Busan City to make efforts so that startupscan maintain the driving force through successive support projects.

Thank you.