US Industrial Safety Certification Company 'UL Solutions' Plans to Establish Testing Center in Gyeonggi-do

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon (left) warmly shakes hands with Jennifer Scanlon, Chairperson and CEO of UL Solutions, a global leader in industrial safety certification, on the 26th.

Gyeonggi Province Governor Kim Dong-yeon met with Jennifer Scanlon, Chairperson and CEO of UL Solutions, a global leader in industrial safety certification, to discuss attracting investment for the establishment of an advanced automobile and battery safety testing center.

On the 26th, Governor Kim held a meeting with Jennifer Scanlon, who was visiting Korea, at his office and said, "Although I canceled all other schedules due to the fire at the Hwaseong plant, this meeting with Chairperson Scanlon holds special significance." He expressed gratitude, stating, "Thanks to the investment decision by UL Solutions, a global leader in safety certification, many companies in Korea have been able to collaborate with UL to obtain safety certifications."

He added, "We intend to use the recent Hwaseong plant fire incident as an opportunity to raise awareness and prepare for safety issues. I hope that UL Solutions and Gyeonggi Province will cooperate well and make good progress in solving the problem." He emphasized, "Since there are many large corporations in Gyeonggi Province, this investment is expected to create a synergy effect. We will do our best to support and cooperate."

In response, Chairperson Jennifer Scanlon said, "It is a very unfortunate event. If there is any way UL Solutions can contribute to safety management with our expertise, we are willing to do so."

She continued, "The mobility market is extremely important, and many of our clients are located in Gyeonggi Province, with these companies also investing heavily in the United States." She added, "I believe it is important for both countries to build a safe and sustainable supply chain through cooperation, and in that regard, this investment in Pyeongtaek is very important for our future growth."

The meeting between Governor Kim Dong-yeon and UL Solutions was the second since May, following their engagement in the North American region. In May, Governor Kim visited the UL Fremont Testing Center in California privately and explored UL Solutions’ investment intentions in Korea. At that time, Governor Kim actively promoted the importance of ‘safety certification’ as the most critical area in the introduction of eco-friendly future vehicles.

UL Solutions is a global leader in safety science, established in 1894 as the first safety standards development and certification organization in the United States. Most of the standards created by UL Solutions are recognized as American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards, and UL certification is a mandatory requirement when exporting domestic products to the North American region.

UL Solutions plans to establish a large-scale advanced automobile and battery testing center in Korea to build infrastructure for evaluating the performance, durability, and reliability of key electric vehicle components such as batteries. In particular, they will conduct fire safety evaluations for batteries dedicated to electric vehicles (EV) and energy storage systems (ESS), supporting manufacturers in supplying safer and more reliable products.

Meanwhile, since last year, Gyeonggi Province has been promoting the discovery of safe new battery materials and attracting industrial safety certification organizations as concrete measures to ensure industrial safety. The meeting with Chairperson Scanlon is a result of these attraction efforts.

Gyeonggi Province emphasized that if UL Solutions’ investment in the advanced automobile and battery testing center is realized, it will be the first global industrial safety certification organization in Korea specializing in electric vehicles and batteries. Once the testing center is established, companies related to electric vehicles in Gyeonggi Province will be able to obtain industrial safety certifications required for export to the United States more quickly, greatly aiding their research and development and export activities.