Hyundai Motor Group and Seoul National University will develop next-generation battery technology for it to be used in future electric vehicles.
On November 3, Hyundai Motor Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Seoul National University for the establishment of the 'Battery Joint Research Center' and mid- to long-term joint research at the Seoul National University Gwanak Campus Administration Office.
 
From Seoul National University's side, the signing ceremony was attended by Se-jung Oh - President of SNU and Hyunsook Lee - Head of Research, Byoungho Lee - Dean of the College of Engineering, and Professor Jang Wook Choi of the SNU Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering while from the Hyundai Motor Group side, President Eui-seon Jeong, Albert Biermann, Jeongkook Park, Keol Kim and Jae Won Shin attended.
 
The joint research will focus on research on next-generation battery advance tehcnology that can dramatically increase the mileage of electric vehicles and shorten the charging time. It also plans to focus on advanced technology research that can closely monitor the battery status.
 
Specifically, joint research will be conducted in four areas: battery management system (BMS), all-solid-state battery (SSB), lithium metal battery (LMB), and battery process technology.
 
Through the establishment of the joint research center, Hyundai Motor Group will further spur the promotion of electrification with the goal of achieving carbon neutrality, while contributing actively to the creation of a domestic battery research ecosystem and actively supporting it to become a world-class battery powerhouse.
 
Hyundai Motor Group invests more than 30 billion won within a span of 10 years. In particular, by the end of next year, a dedicated research space will be built at Seoul National University and the highest-end experimental equipment will be installed.
 
Professor Jang Wook Choi, who is considered a world-renowned scholar in the battery field, was appointed as the head of the center. With Seoul National University at the center, 15 faculty members and more than 100 master's and doctorate-level talents from domestic universities, including the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST) and Sungkyunkwan University, will participate in the study.
 
Hyundai Motor Group's investment is interpreted as a stepping stone to preoccupy the global electric vehicle market as it leads the ever-increasing battery competition in the global automobile industry.
 
“The technological advance of batteries will accelerate the electrification wave, and that wave will become an irresistible wave. The joint research center will serve as the foundation for Hyundai Motor Group to solidify its leadership in future mobility businesses, and for Seoul National University, it will serve as the source of establishing a battery research ecosystem,” said President Jeong.
 
"It will be an important foundation for the future of Korea by producing high-quality technologies and incubate some of the world's best human resources, and make an innovative contribution to the global mobility industry," President Jeong further emphasized.
 
“I am delighted to have signed a historic agreement for the future of Korea’s secondary battery technology. We expect Seoul National University's outstanding talent, education and research infrastructure as well as Hyundai Motor Group's challenging spirit, and excellent platform to maximize synergy in battery research and influence each other to grow together,” said President Oh.