Korea Lab 2022, a demonstration of products and technologies for laboratory analysis, research experiment analysis equipment, and biotechnology industries, was held at the same time as Korea Pack (International Process and Packaging Exhibition), Korea Mat (International Materials Handling and Logistics Exhibition), and COPHEX (International Cosmetic, Pharmaceutical, Bio Process, and Technology Exhibition).
The following is an interview conducted by The Industry Journal with Hanno Elbraechter, Head of DKSH Business Unit Technology, at the exhibition, about the latest trends in Korea.
As South Korea is among the world’s top manufacturing markets, what are the key competitive advantages of DKSH?
We help companies seize their competitive advantage thanks to our high-quality products and innovative solutions. We have a portfolio of reputable brands from leading companies, and we offer integrated solutions for our customers.
Our customers can rely on our excellence in after-sales services from a dedicated team with deep technical expertise. We offer an internal training academy to achieve the highest levels of service excellence. In addition, we have a Center-of-Excellence offering technical training and application support.
We offer strong application development capabilities. Our people are highly trained with product knowledge and industry expertise. They act as independent advisors to develop the right innovative solutions for our customers.
We have over 150 years of continuous presence in Asia and a commitment to the markets we serve. Our customers can count on a reliable and trustworthy partner deeply rooted in the local communities who understands your business.
How were the last two years of COVID-19 for DKSH? Tell us more about the plans and vision you have for the Korean market and globally.
Due to COVID-19, DKSH has accelerated our digital transformation in various aspects, including sales, marketing, and services. We leveraged technologies to engage our customers and enhance our customer satisfaction while in-person meetings were limited.
We held webinars to share new technologies and applications with our customers and we provided service remotely to prevent disruption of our customers’ operations. In Korea, we have been in the right business with our PCR instruments and consumables, which helped customers to develop COVID-19 solutions.
Based on our observation, although in the past two years some orders have been delayed, the inquiries for new products and interest in innovations have never ceased. And this year, we see recovery picking up pace in many markets. This confirmed that APAC is still the region with the highest CAGR in the next five years at over 6.8 percent.
At DKSH, our vision is to become the leading integrated solution provider focusing on the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, life sciences, and material science industries. This is aligned with the trends we see in the scientific instrumentation industry:
The biopharmaceutical industry is playing a significant role. With a rising emphasis on the quality of pharmaceutical production, the bioprocessing sector is also emerging as a substantial investor in high-end instruments.
Automation across the end-user industries fueled the development of the scientific industry. Companies developing batteries for electric vehicles, mobile phones, energy systems, and other systems rely on analytical instruments to enhance storage potential and output, creating a more efficient, cleaner, and safer energy source.
Elemental analysis spectrometers are finding applications in environmental, petrochemical, food safety, metallurgical, geochemical, and clinical/toxicology research applications. These products are widely used to support compliance with increasingly stringent international environmental and consumer safety regulations.
Further, the recent pandemic resulted in significant demand in the market studied. The need for accelerated research has significantly increased during the pandemic, and the public expects unprecedented progress from the scientific community.
Two years ago, we acquired Bosung Scientific, a Korea-based life sciences distributor. Their business is complementary to our existing operations and has significantly strengthened our regional footprint in the life science market. With this acquisition, we are well positioned to become the leading integrated solution provider in the life science market in Korea.
