Posco International said Tuesday that it is supporting the nation’s small- and medium-sized enterprises to expand their business abroad by offering its own networks and infrastructure around the world.

As part of the shared growth initiative, a group of 11 business people visited Canada last week to meet with potential buyers and nurture new business opportunities.

Posco International, the trading and energy arm of Posco Group, plans to operate a field trip program in eight countries, including Canada, Poland and Malaysia.

The Canada team consisted of companies whose competitiveness has been proven in renewable energy and ESG (environmental, social and governance) aspects.

During the July 8-12 visit, they met with 46 buyers and held some 70 one-on-one business meetings. Additionally, visits to local buyer facilities were arranged, allowing the delegation member firms to showcase their products and technology.

Among the participants was Korea Water Technology, which demonstrated its wastewater sludge reduction technology at a sewage treatment plant in Peel Region, on the western side of Toronto.

“It takes a considerable amount of time and effort for SMEs to connect with public sector-managed sewage treatment plants in new markets with high entry barriers like Canada. Through this delegation program, we were able to visit and demonstrate our technology, and prepare proposals,” said Jeon Se-jeong, CEO of Korea Water Technology.

Another participant, Bluesen Co., presented its water quality measurement technology at a local water treatment plant, which also led to discussions about bulk purchases, Posco International said.