Battery Leading City Pohang, Painted a Sustainable Battery Market Future

Special Session Featuring Nordic Trio: Norway, Finland, and Sweden

Discussing Global Battery Market Changes and New Opportunities

Pohang City, a leading battery hub, has organized a forum to share policies and strategies among industry, academia, research, and government sectors and to discuss global cooperation plans amid increasing uncertainties in the global battery market.

Pohang City held the "Battery Leading City Pohang International Conference" on the 22nd at the POSCO International Hall's International Conference Room, focusing on changes and new opportunities in the global battery market. Photo by Pohang City

The city held the 5th annual "Pohang International Conference for Battery Leading Cities" on the 22nd at the POSCO International Hall, focusing on changes and new opportunities in the global battery market.

The event was attended by about 300 domestic and international stakeholders, including Mayor Kang-deok Lee of Pohang, Chairman Il-man Kim of the Pohang City Council, Carl Ulrf Andersson, Ambassador of Sweden to Korea, Jeong-woo Lee, Director of Meta AI Science Bureau of Gyeongbuk Province, Hee-kwon Son, Vice Chairman of the Planning and Economic Committee of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, Byung-hoon Kim, CEO of Ecopro Materials, and Jooyoung Ko, Vice President of Samsung SDI.

Prior to the conference, an agreement was signed among related institutions to advance the battery recycling regulatory free zone, establishing a foundation for the circular use industry of electric vehicle core components including batteries and to designate new regulatory free zones.

In the keynote speech, Jooyoung Ko, Vice President of Samsung SDI, presented Samsung SDI’s battery promotion strategies and technologies in the global market under the theme "Strategies to Overcome the Chasm of K-Battery Companies and Future Battery Development Strategies."

To celebrate the newly established Nordic session this year, Ambassador Carl Ulrf Andersson of Sweden personally visited Pohang. Experts from the three Nordic countries, including Nordic Battery Collaboration, Hydrovolt, Volvo Construction Equipment, and Finnish Mineral Group, participated to introduce corporate and policy cases from each country and explore cooperation plans with Korea.

In the second part, Hyun-joon Seo, Director of the Battery Advanced Industry Division of Pohang City, presented the city’s battery industry journey and future strategies over the past decade under the theme "Pohang, the Center of Korea’s Battery Industry."

Additionally, Jae-heon Yang, BM Director of Ecopro, presented "Development Strategies and Directions for Pohang-type Secondary Battery Materials by K-Anode Companies," and Kyung-hoon Seo, Executive Director of Lotte Chemical, discussed "Lotte Chemical’s Secondary Battery Material Development Strategies and Directions," providing insights into the present and future of domestic battery companies.

In the third part, Professor Sung-kyun Jeong of UNIST presented "Research and Technology Trends for Developing High-Stability All-Solid-State Batteries," Professor Jun-hyuk Moon of Korea University discussed "Understanding and Trends of Lithium-Sulfur Batteries," and Professor Sang-min Lee of POSTECH introduced "Research and Development Trends of Next-Generation Anode Materials at POSTECH," showcasing future secondary battery industry technologies and strategies.

In the final panel discussion on "Strategies to Overcome the Electric Vehicle Industry Chasm through Utilization of Secondary Battery Specialized Complexes," chaired by Jeong-doo Lee, Secondary Battery PD of the Korea Institute for Advancement of Technology, participants including Young-joo Lee, Head of Secondary Battery Industry Promotion Division at Gyeongbuk Technopark, and Professor Sang-min Lee of POSTECH engaged in a lively discussion on revitalizing specialized complexes.

Pohang City, together with Gyeongbuk Province, is solidifying its status as a leading battery city by being designated as a national advanced strategic industry specialized complex for secondary batteries and the largest secondary battery opportunity development zone nationwide.

The city plans to build the "Secondary Battery Open Innovation Center," a hub space for comprehensive nurturing and bold corporate support of the secondary battery industry, to activate investment in specialized complexes through one-stop support including research and development, demonstration, industrial promotion, and corporate support, thereby completing an innovative secondary battery industrial ecosystem.

Mayor Kang-deok Lee stated, "Next year, in line with the 2025 APEC, we will hold the Gyeongbuk Battery Expo to further highlight the regional secondary battery industry. We will promote mutual growth through solidarity and cooperation among secondary battery companies, academia, research, and government. Upon the completion of POEX, we will launch the Global Battery City Forum to pursue international solidarity and cooperation with overseas cities, dedicating all efforts to implement industrial policies that have tangible impacts."

Pohang City held the "Battery Leading City Pohang International Conference" on the 22nd at the POSCO International Hall International Conference Room. Photo by Pohang City