The ‘World FoodTech Conference 2024’ opened on June 19 at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Center.

"The global agri-food market will inevitably face increasing price and supply chain instability. It would be beneficial for domestic food tech companies to utilize the Tridge platform, which holds 10 billion pieces of global agri-food data, to better respond to market changes."

Hoshik Shin, CEO of Tridge, highlighted this during his keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the ‘World FoodTech Conference 2024’. Serving as the co-president of the conference, Mr.Shin  delivered the first speech out of 250 speakers, marking the significance of the event. Tridge, the first ‘AgTech unicorn’ in Korea, is a global information and trade platform company based on worldwide agri-food data.

The conference, held until the 21st at the Korea Science and Technology Center in Gangnam, Seoul, was co-hosted by the Korea FoodTech Association, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Presidential Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Policy, and the FoodTech Center of Seoul National University. Themed ‘World FoodTech Emerginists,’ the event featured 250 food tech innovators from Korea, the US, Germany, Belgium, UAE, Singapore, Japan, and more, participating in 40 sessions of presentations and discussions.

Hoshik Shin, recognized as a leading innovator in the global agri-food startup scene, delivered the keynote speech. His global agri-food trade and information platform is a unique business model attracting worldwide attention.

"We are currently processing and analyzing 2 million new data points weekly to help companies procure better agri-food products. As we targeted the global market from the beginning, 97% of our customers are non-domestic companies," Shin explained.

He further emphasized, "The global agri-food market is undergoing significant changes due to climate change, wars, and new protectionism. As a result, unprecedented trades, like between Brazil and Egypt, are occurring, creating new business opportunities where Tridge is involved. Moreover, the rising K-food trend driven by platforms like YouTube and Netflix, and the increasing meat consumption in developing countries, are transforming traditional trade systems, increasing volatility in global agri-food supply chains. Tridge aims to play a larger role in helping companies swiftly adapt to these changes."

Before the opening ceremony, the Korea FoodTech Association signed a memorandum of understanding with HiTi (Healthy Innovations Technology Investment) to build a world-leading food tech innovation ecosystem. The signing ceremony was attended by the association’s co-presidents Ki-won Lee, Hyun-seok Song, and Hoshik Shin, HiTi's CEO Raymond Scheffler, European corporate representatives, and officials from the UAE Embassy in Korea.

Ki-won Lee, Head of FoodTech Department at College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Seoul National University, and an organizer of this event, stated, "The Korea FoodTech Association is the world’s first industry-academia-government consultative body related to food tech. We aim to make food tech Korea’s leading industry. This conference will lay the foundation for creating an innovative industry ecosystem that addresses food-related issues."

The Korea FoodTech Association, the key executive body behind organizing this event, is planning the next conference for November and will invite more international organizations, including UNIDO.

As part of the upcoming conference, UNIDO will host 'UNIDO GLOBAL CALL 2024'. During this event, UNIDO will present the 'UN FoodTech Awards', recognizing companies that contribute to food tech innovation and inclusive and sustainable industrial development. Awards will be presented in four categories: 1) Production, 2) Manufacturing/Processing, 3) Distribution and Logistics, and 4) Consumption. Applications will be accepted until July, evaluated by October, and awarded at the November event.

‍