Environment ministry names nine firms as outstanding green industry companies

The environment ministry said Tuesday it has selected nine companies as this year's outstanding environmental industry firms, picking businesses with proprietary technology and growth potential in water, climate and resource-circulation fields.

Four companies were chosen in the water and water-quality category: Hyorim E&I, which makes non-metallic sludge collectors; HSCMT, which produces ultrasonic flow meters and smart pipe-network monitoring systems; The Opo, which supplies high-efficiency inclined-plate sedimentation equipment and PFAS treatment; and Hanil Network Engineering, which uses artificial intelligence for smart leak detection. In the climate and air category, three companies were designated: Nano, for combined denitrification and oxidation catalysts; Y&C, for eco-friendly insulation and heat-blocking paints; and Daeshin MC, for fine-dust intake mats. Two companies were selected in the resource-circulation and waste category: DMI, which separates and recycles waste PVC, and Coatgreen, which makes eco-friendly slow-release fertilizer materials.

The designations are made under a program introduced in 2012 to identify and support companies with strong environmental technology and products, and to help them enter overseas markets, according to the ministry.

Designated companies receive support for five years, including dedicated promotion booths at overseas environmental exhibitions, tailored patent strategy under IP-R&D, technology escrow services, multilingual company directory books and connections with overseas buyers. They also receive bonus points when applying for environmental technology development projects, environmental policy loans and overseas expansion support programs.

"The outstanding environmental industry companies designated this time are core companies that will lead the advancement of domestic environmental technology and the development of the green industry," said Jeong Seon-hwa, director-general for green transition policy at the environment ministry. "We will continue comprehensive policy support so that our environmental companies can raise their competitiveness and actively enter the global environmental market."

The program has designated 13 companies in 2021, 14 in 2022, 13 in 2023, 14 in 2024 and nine in each of 2025 and 2026. As of September 2026, 72 companies hold valid designations under the five-year term.