BUSAN — Nurizon, a Busan-based specialist in next-generation cleantech materials, is moving into the water treatment and advanced industrial filter markets in partnership with the Saudi Arabian government.
The company recently hosted Saeed Almadani, commercial attache at the commercial section of the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Seoul, at its Busan headquarters for a meeting on next-generation filter materials technology for water treatment, the Busan Technology Venture Investment Agency said on Oct. 15. The two sides agreed to expand cooperation beyond water treatment into advanced industries that Saudi Arabia is nurturing as national strategic sectors, including data centers and automobiles.
The visit grew out of FLY ASIA 2026, an Asian startup expo held in Busan on Oct. 7 and 8. Almadani, who spoke at this year's opening ceremony, sought opportunities to work with promising companies in the Busan area, and the host organization, the Busan Technology Venture Investment Agency, arranged a tailored introduction to Nurizon that led to the working-level meeting. FLY ASIA is a global startup expo organized by the Busan Metropolitan Government and the agency, and serves as the region's flagship startup platform, drawing large numbers of promising domestic and international investors and startup support organizations.
Nurizon executives and key research staff attended the meeting, presenting the company's proprietary nanofiber technology and its mass production status while discussing detailed cooperation plans across sectors.
Saudi Arabia, the world's largest seawater desalination market, draws most of its household water from the sea, making the performance of pretreatment filter materials in desalination and wastewater reuse processes a key factor in cutting overall plant operating costs. Durafiltex, the nanofiber filter medium that Nurizon produces in-house, can operate at lower pressure than conventional membranes, sharply reducing energy consumption while significantly extending the life of downstream membranes.
The two sides explored joint technology verification to test those characteristics directly under local Saudi water conditions, along with ways to identify local partners. They also agreed that Nurizon's nanofiber materials technology has considerable scope to contribute to the data center and automotive industries, which the Saudi government is cultivating intensively as part of its post-oil economic transition strategy, Vision 2030, and said they would broaden the range of cooperation.
Nurizon has secured green technology certification, designation as an innovative product by the Public Procurement Service and UL 900 certification, and has further demonstrated its technology by winning the Prime Minister's Award at Nano Korea 2026 and becoming the first air-conditioning filter maker to obtain carbon reduction certification from the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The company plans to open a dedicated working channel with the commercial section of the Saudi Embassy in Seoul and advance cooperation in stages, beginning with joint technology verification in water treatment.
Nurizon is a participant in the Bunicorn program, Busan's flagship startup development initiative aimed at creating local unicorns, and has grown with tailored support including funding for an initial public offering. At this year's FLY ASIA, it appeared as a featured company at the Bunicorn exhibition hall run by the agency, showcasing its technology and holding business meetings with global buyers.
"Since the Busan Technology Venture Investment Agency was established last year, we have received substantial help in many areas, from the early development stage to technology development support programs," Nurizon Chief Executive Lee Seung-wook said. "We are grateful for the practical support we received through this FLY ASIA, from building a network in Saudi Arabia to opening global sales channels, and it feels as though the seeds the agency planted in the innovation ecosystem are blossoming one by one."
"Connecting the technological capabilities of outstanding local companies to actual overseas markets and global networks is the core task of FLY ASIA and the agency," said Kim Su-jin, head of the Busan Technology Venture Investment Agency. "With cooperation between Nurizon and Saudi Arabia now under way, we will spare no effort in providing wide-ranging support to further expand the potential for local startups to go global and to turn this into tangible results in international cooperation."