Pohang City Holds Meeting to Overcome Secondary Battery Crisis and Explore Future Development Strategies

Final Report Meeting on Research Service for Secondary Battery Industry Development and Open Innovation Center Establishment

Exploring Sustainable Development Strategies for the Secondary Battery Industry in Response to Global Market Environmental Changes

Pohang City has recently taken steps to overcome the crisis facing the secondary battery industry and secure growth momentum for the battery industry to ensure sustainable development of the local economy.

On the 7th, Pohang City held a final integrated briefing session at City Hall on the "Development Plan for Pohang City through the Secondary Battery Industry" and the "Basic Plan for Establishing a Secondary Battery Open Innovation Center." Photo by Pohang City

On the 7th, Pohang City held a final integrated briefing session on the ‘Development Plan for Pohang City through the Secondary Battery Industry’ and the ‘Basic Plan for the Establishment of the Secondary Battery Open Innovation Center’ at the city hall’s mid-sized conference room.

At this briefing, various expert advisory committee members from universities, research institutions, and companies attended to share the results of the secondary battery research projects conducted so far and discuss the final outcomes.

The briefing diagnosed the current status of the secondary battery industry and the risk factors Pohang may face amid changes in the global market, and presented multifaceted strategies to secure sustainable future growth engines.

First, the research report on the ‘Development Plan for Pohang City through the Secondary Battery Industry’ analyzed domestic and international environmental changes such as the inauguration of the new U.S. administration and the electric vehicle chasm, and shared implications regarding the analysis of Pohang City’s policy demands and the necessity for differentiated policies in response.

Additionally, the report presented and discussed ways to enhance investment vitality of Pohang’s secondary battery companies, improve responsiveness to domestic and international environmental changes, and strengthen ESG competitiveness to secure the competitiveness of the secondary battery industry.

The ‘Basic Plan for the Establishment of the Secondary Battery Open Innovation Center’ project is being promoted to mass-produce future secondary battery full-cycle materials and provide demonstration systems to revitalize the future battery material ecosystem.

At the briefing, the direction for the center’s establishment, which will serve as a hub space for comprehensive support including corporate assistance, R&D and demonstration support, and workforce training, was presented along with differentiated strategies and spatial composition plans.

After the final report by the executing agency, attendees including advisory committee members from industry, academia, and research analyzed the presentation materials from various perspectives and engaged in open discussions by offering opinions on development directions.

The city plans to prepare a roadmap to realize the strategies proposed in this project and will gradually proceed with administrative procedures and budget securing for industrial diversification and the establishment of the Secondary Battery Open Innovation Center.

Furthermore, Pohang intends to strengthen urban competitiveness by preparing concrete measures for revitalizing the local economy and attracting youth in connection with the secondary battery industry, which is a core pillar of the regional economy.

Kwon Hyuk-won, Director of the Job and Economy Bureau, said, “In the rapidly changing technological environment and international situation, the most important thing is to establish new strategies for sustainable growth,” adding, “We will focus administrative efforts on establishing policies to strengthen the technological capabilities of secondary battery companies and advancing Pohang as a hub for nurturing secondary battery talent in Korea, laying the foundation for sustainable urban development.”