Hyundai builds partnerships in Poland
15 September 2023
South Korea's Hyundai Engineering & Construction (HEC) has signed a series of agreements with Polish institutions and construction companies in an effort to tap into the country's nuclear power and infrastructure markets. The company is also establishing an office in Warsaw to create "a bridgehead" for entering other Eastern European markets.
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HEC President Young-jun Yoon (left) and PZPB Vice Chairman Damian Kazmierjak at the signing of the agreement (Image: HEC)
HEC, which attended the Krynica Economic Forum in Poland as a member of the public-private joint Korean delegation, used the visit as an opportunity to sign business agreements with the Polish Association of Construction Employers (PZPB), the National Center for Nuclear Research (NCBJ) and leading local construction companies, including nuclear energy projects.
On 12 September, HEC signed a "business agreement for new nuclear energy business" with PZPB. The signing ceremony was held with the attendance of HEC President Young-jun Yoon, PZPB Vice Chairman Damian Kazmierjak, and key officials from both companies. With this agreement, the two companies will actively exchange Polish construction-related policies, industry trends, local information, and professional technology. The partners plan to seek active cooperation measures to discover new nuclear power plant projects.
On the same day, a business agreement was signed with NCBJ. The institute, established in 1952, is Poland's largest nuclear research institute and conducts research across all fields of nuclear energy, including nuclear physics, radiology, and materials. With this agreement, the two companies agreed to establish an overall cooperation system in: nuclear R&D; research reactors; nuclear safety; nuclear technology; and human resources exchange.
In addition, HEC has signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with two major Polish construction firms - Erbud Group and Unibep SA - to cooperate in such areas as renewable energy, infrastructure, new airports and smart cities.
Unibep said that through its MoU with HEC, signed on 7 September, both parties "expressed their willingness to cooperate on nuclear energy projects and infrastructure tasks implemented in Poland".
"The aim of the agreement is to create a strong partnership that will enable Unibep access to new technologies and know-how necessary to implement extensive and prestigious projects in the nuclear energy and infrastructure sectors, the implementation of which will soon begin in Poland," said Przemysław Janiszewski, a member of the management board of Unibep and Director of Energy and Industrial Construction.
"Through this visit to Poland, we were able to confirm Poland's potential for a new economic leap forward, and we expect that we will be able to contribute to the expansion of Polish energy and infrastructure by promoting mutual exchange between the two countries," an HEC spokesperson said in a statement. "We have established a cooperative system with major institutions and companies, and we will strive to achieve practical results by strengthening partnerships at the private level based on the strategic partnership between the two governments."
HEC said it also plans to open a local office in Poland to "serve as an outpost for entry into Eastern Europe and will actively work on expanding business in neighboring countries, including quickly understanding the local situation and maintaining close cooperative relationships with local companies to secure new order opportunities".
Researched and written by World Nuclear News