Liverpool leaders have "embarked on a historic mission" to South Korea in a bid to build relationships at a city region level.
Representatives of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, including deputy chief executive Richard McGuckin, will visit South Korea’s second largest city Busan as part of the UK-Republic of Korea Innovation Twins Programme.
The city is also home to the world’s sixth largest port.
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The combined authority said the programme is aimed at helping UK and South Korean cities with "complementary strengths develop long-term research and innovation links, creating a pipeline of opportunities for bilateral trade and foreign direct investment" (FDI).
As part of next week’s visit, Mr McGuckin and the Mersey Tidal Power project director will visit Sihwa Tidal Power Plant near Seoul, the world’s largest tidal power plant, as well as meeting the chief executive officer of K-Water, which owns and operates the facility.
They will also meet senior officials from Busan and Seoul, as well as other prominent figures from academia and business.
Mr McGuckin said: "This initial visit has the potential to increase our international trade with South Korea and to build on our complementary strengths in innovation in ways that will boost our economy for years to come.
"As well as creating links with Busan, a major port city with many similarities to our city region, we will also visit the world’s largest tidal power scheme at Sihwa Lake, as well as consolidating links with K Water, the plant’s owner operator, which we made at COP26 in Glasgow.
"The visit demonstrates the scale of our ambitions from the Liverpool City Region."
Dr Amy Hochadel, director of global business growth at Connected Places Catapult, added: "Connected Places Catapult is passionate about boosting innovation across different countries to drive economic and social progress.
"The Innovation Twins Programme is designed to harness the power of two complementary cities to collaborate on research and innovation, technology adoption, investment and trade to solve mutual challenges.
"We look forward to bringing together representatives from the Liverpool City Region and Busan and to move the agenda forward in these important areas."
