Inha GTEP Drives K-Beauty Exports at in Italy
Inha University’s Regional Specialized Youth Trade Expert Training Program (hereinafter GTEP program) recently participated in the “Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna 2026” beauty exhibition in Italy, successfully supporting the entry of domestic small and medium-sized beauty companies into the European market.
Cosmoprof Bologna is the world’s largest business-focused beauty industry exhibition, with approximately 3,100 companies from 60 countries participating and around 300,000 visitors attending.
At this exhibition, Park Geun-A and Choi Gyeong-Ryun, students from the Department of International Trade in the GTEP program, were dispatched to support exports for their partner company, Chamos Cosmetics Co., Ltd. They demonstrated their practical skills by conducting export consultations and product promotions for global buyers at the on-site booth.
Chamos Cosmetics Co., Ltd., the partner company, highlighted its certified products that have completed CPNP (European cosmetic product notification) registration to overcome the high entry barriers of the European market. In particular, products such as the “Magical Sting Spicule Cream,” which uses micro-needle ingredients, the low-irritation “Blancene Pure Mild Weakly Acidic Cleanser,” and the “Snail Repair Moisturizing Foot Pack,” designed for convenient home care, attracted strong interest.
During the exhibition, the GTEP program promoted its in-house manufacturing infrastructure based on ISO 22716 certification and actively proposed the possibility of establishing customized original equipment manufacturing and original design manufacturing partnerships tailored to buyers, in addition to finished product exports.
Furthermore, by operating a tester zone to demonstrate product usage and distributing sample kits, the team carried out diverse on-site marketing activities that led to practical contract discussions. As a result, they achieved 120 consultation cases and pursued contracts worth approximately 80,000 USD per buyer.
The GTEP program is supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to foster trade professionals specialized in overseas regions in response to industry demands. The university has participated in the program for 20 consecutive years, providing students with practical experience in the trade industry and supporting the global expansion of domestic small and medium-sized enterprises.
Kim Ung-Hee, director of the GTEP program, stated, “Cosmoprof Bologna in Italy is a frontline marketing venue for the domestic beauty industry to expand into overseas markets,” adding, “We will continue to actively support participation in major exhibitions to help our companies achieve tangible export results while enhancing students’ practical field experience.”