Econara Showcases Food Waste Recycling Technology at 2025 Icheon High-Tech defence Drone Festival
Icheon City hosted its inaugural ”2025 Icheon High-Tech Defense drone Festival” in collaboration with Korea Interoperability Technology Consulting (KOREA ITC), featuring approximately 40 booths operated by 35 domestic and foreign companies.Among the exhibitors was Econara, a company demonstrating its contribution to environmental sustainability through innovative food waste recycling technology.
Econara has been a pioneer in establishing resource circulation systems, focusing on food waste recycling and eco-pleasant processing. The company notably installed resource-recycling equipment in large private and public buildings – a first for the country - and has been instrumental in reducing carbon emissions by converting local food waste into usable resources.
A pilot program launched in July 2014, installing a resource-recycling device in a large apartment complex in Nowon-gu, Seoul, received a positive response from over 90% of residents, leading to a successful and voluntary expansion to all households within the complex. This system has been operating stably since the 1980s.
Recently, Econara’s resource-recycling equipment has been deployed throughout Seoul, including districts like Jungnang-gu and Gangbuk-gu, and major complexes in Nowon-gu, specifically in Sanggye-dong and Gongneung-dong. Several complexes utilizing Econara’s technology have been recognized with the ’Eco-friendly Practice Apartment’ Excellence Award from the Seoul Metropolitan Government, highlighting the company’s technological capabilities and operational sustainability. Econara’s equipment has been in continuous operation for over 12 years – the longest duration within the domestic industry.
The 2025 festival also featured demonstrations of surveillance,reconnaissance,suicide and drop simulation systems,industrial multi-function drones,and anti-drone technologies. Seven Israeli drone companies participated, showcasing products including drones utilized in recent operations in the Gaza Strip, capable of functioning even without GPS access. The event included citizen engagement activities like drone assembly, flight experiences, and drone soccer competitions, alongside an investment attraction briefing session for approximately 60 defense and drone companies, promoting Icheon City’s semiconductor and drone advancement projects.
Reporter Kim Han-sik of etnews.com reported on the event (hskim@etnews.com).