Reward System to Lead Future of Battery Industry Centered on Pohang with Open Technology Innovation

Battery Open Innovation Program Operation Agreement Ceremony Held

Collaboration with SK Ecoplant, POSTECH, and Others to Discover and Support Startup Growth

Pohang City is taking full-scale steps to establish a mutual cooperation system among industry, academia, research, and government to lead a sustainable K-battery future by developing innovative technologies in the battery field and fostering new businesses.

Pohang City held the 'Battery Open Innovation Program Operation Business Agreement Ceremony.' (From left: Kim Won-kyung, Director of Gyeonggi Creative Innovation Center; Jeong Gyu-yeol, Vice President of Academic Affairs at POSTECH; Park Kyung-il, CEO of SK Eco Plant; Lee Kang-deok, Mayor; Baek In-gyu, Chairman of the City Council; Bae Young-ho, Director of Pohang Technopark; Kim Heon-deok, Director of POMIA)

On the 30th, the city held a 'Battery Open Innovation Program Operation Agreement Ceremony' at the Pohang City Hall main conference room with SK Ecoplant, POSTECH, Pohang Technopark, Pohang Metal Materials Industry Promotion Agency, Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy and Innovation, and others to create a sustainable battery recycling industrial ecosystem.

The event was attended by about 30 officials from each organization, including Mayor Lee Kang-deok, Baek In-gyu, Chairperson of the City Council, Park Kyung-il, CEO of SK Ecoplant, Chung Kyu-yeol, Vice President of POSTECH, Bae Young-ho, Director of Pohang Technopark, Kim Heon-deok, Director of Pohang Metal Materials Industry Promotion Agency, and Kim Won-kyung, Director of Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy and Innovation.

This agreement was prepared to establish a cooperative system among institutions and strengthen mutual cooperation to advance battery recycling technology, discover startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), support incubation, and activate the battery open innovation (open technology innovation) program.

SK Ecoplant plans to oversee the overall operation of the program and conduct joint research and development of battery recycling technology with its environmental subsidiary Renewus, POSTECH, startups, and SMEs. To discover startups and SMEs participating in joint research and development, SK Ecoplant will actively utilize innovation technology contests such as 'Tech Open Collaboration' and 'ConTech Meetup Day' currently being implemented.

Pohang Technopark, Pohang Metal Materials Industry Promotion Agency, and Gyeonggi Center for Creative Economy and Innovation will support technology discovery, linkage to funding, and commercialization support, while Pohang City will actively cooperate with each institution to strengthen the competitiveness of the secondary battery industry.

SK Ecoplant is focusing on the battery recycling business as a new growth engine and is solidifying its position as a leading domestic battery recycling company. Last year, it secured core technologies necessary for metal extraction, complete discharge, and wastewater reduction in recycling waste batteries, and it has SK Tess, which holds the largest number of global bases in 46 locations across 23 countries in the electronic waste and waste battery recycling field, as a subsidiary.

Pohang City plans to use this agreement as an opportunity to collaborate with SK Ecoplant, a leading domestic eco-friendly and new energy company, and related organizations to discover innovative battery recycling technologies, proactively respond to the rapidly increasing global demand for battery recycling, and devote efforts to creating and accelerating the industrial ecosystem.

Pohang is scheduled to receive the largest-scale investment of 14 trillion KRW in a specialized complex by 2027 through active secondary battery new industry promotion policies and corporate attraction, and has made significant efforts to expand industrial complex infrastructure to meet the production timing of secondary battery companies.

In particular, since the designation of the secondary battery specialized complex last year, the city has actively addressed the issues of tenant companies related to infrastructure such as underground pipelines, electricity, water supply, and wastewater treatment through close cooperation with relevant ministries to ensure smooth large-scale investment by tenant companies, leading to government support following the fast-track promotion of the specialized complex.

Mayor Lee Kang-deok said, “Startups creating new industries in battery recycling will be new economic leaders and growth engines for realizing battery national security. We will unite the capabilities of battery innovation companies and related cooperative institutions to secure the leadership of battery recycling technology centered in Pohang and lead the sustainable future of the battery industry by fostering the co-growth of local small and medium-sized venture companies and startups.”