Hyundai Motor-Seoul National University Accelerate Next-Generation Battery Development... Joint Research Center Opens

Hyundai Motor Group has opened a joint battery research center at Seoul National University and is embarking on full-scale next-generation battery research with the country's top battery expert group.

On the 25th, Hyundai Motor Group and Seoul National University held an opening ceremony for the "Hyundai Motor Group-Seoul National University Joint Battery Research Center (hereinafter referred to as the Battery Joint Research Center)" at Seoul National University's Gwanak Campus. Attendees included Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, CTO President Kim Yong-hwa, GSO Vice President Kim Heung-soo, Executive Director of the Battery Development Center Kim Chang-hwan, Seoul National University President Yoo Hong-rim, Dean of the College of Engineering Hong Yoo-seok, Associate Dean of Engineering Research Go Seung-hwan, Head of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Lee Jong-chan, and Director of the Battery Joint Research Center Choi Jang-wook, among other officials.

At the opening ceremony of the 'Hyundai Motor Group-Seoul National University Battery Joint Research Center' held at the Seoul National University Engineer House, (from left) Seong Nak-seop, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia R&D Planning and Coordination Office; Professor Oh Jun-hak of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Seoul National University; Kim Heung-soo, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia GSO; Hong Yoo-seok, Dean of the College of Engineering at Seoul National University; Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group; Yoo Hong-rim, President of Seoul National University; Kim Yong-hwa, President and CTO of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia; Professor Ko Seung-hwan, Associate Dean of Research at the College of Engineering, Seoul National University; Kim Chang-hwan, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Battery Development Center; and Professor Choi Jang-wook, Director of the Battery Joint Research Center, are posing for a commemorative photo.
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

President Yoo said in his congratulatory speech, "The Battery Joint Research Center will become a hub where battery technologies with improved performance and enhanced safety are born," adding, "We expect that the excellent faculty and graduate students will create various innovations from basic to applied battery fields by synergizing with Hyundai Motor Group's highly capable research team."

Chairman Chung responded, "The reason we develop various mobility solutions equipped with excellent batteries is our mission to pass on a sustainable environment to the next generation," and added, "I ask everyone participating in the Battery Joint Research Center to lead the electrification transition of the mobility industry through innovative research and development."

The Battery Joint Research Center began to take shape in November 2021 when Hyundai Motor Group and Seoul National University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the establishment of the Battery Joint Research Center and mid- to long-term joint research, based on a shared commitment to achieving carbon neutrality and fostering the domestic battery research ecosystem. The center was constructed by expanding the Seoul National University Chemical Process New Technology Research Institute, covering a total of three floors and 901 square meters, and is equipped with seven laboratories and meeting rooms for battery development, analysis, measurement, and processing. This is the first specialized research facility dedicated solely to electric vehicle batteries within Seoul National University.

The Battery Joint Research Center focuses on research into next-generation battery preemptive technologies that can dramatically increase electric vehicle driving range and reduce charging time, as well as battery state monitoring technologies and advanced process technologies. Specifically, it will conduct a total of 22 joint research projects centered on four divisions: ▲ lithium metal batteries ▲ all-solid-state batteries ▲ battery management systems (BMS) ▲ battery process technologies. A total of 21 professors and outstanding master's and doctoral-level talents from domestic universities including Seoul National University, KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology), DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology), Hanyang University, Sungkyunkwan University, and Chungnam National University will participate.

Among the 22 research projects conducted by the Joint Research Center, 14 projects, about two-thirds, focus on lithium metal batteries and all-solid-state batteries, concentrating core capabilities on next-generation battery development. The Joint Research Center is equipped with research infrastructure on par with the state-of-the-art equipment used at Hyundai Motor and Kia research institutes, including precision battery analysis equipment, cell and rheological property analyzers, cell manufacturing equipment, and impedance measurement devices. Professor Choi Jang-wook of Seoul National University's Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, a leading scholar in the battery field, was appointed as the director of the Battery Joint Research Center.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to pour all support into enabling the Battery Joint Research Center to secure industry-leading next-generation battery development capabilities. First, it will invest more than 30 billion KRW by 2030 to support smooth research activities at the Joint Research Center. Additionally, Hyundai Motor and Kia researchers will be dispatched to the Battery Joint Research Center to participate as part of the joint research team, maximizing research synergy through technology know-how transfer and close communication.

Furthermore, insights and development direction discussions will be conducted through battery technology consultations and seminars, and regular or ad hoc consultative bodies will be formed to mutually share information on global battery industry trends and outcomes. Hyundai Motor Group will select outstanding talents among students participating in the joint research to operate scholarship programs and internships. Preferential hiring benefits will also be provided when applying for positions at Hyundai Motor and Kia.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.