"Patents Are the Future" Samsung SDI Holds Company-wide 'IP Fair'

Awards Presented in 3 Categories and 9 Cases to Employees and Departments Contributing to Securing Excellent Patents

On the 21st, Choi Yoon-ho, CEO of Samsung SDI, spoke at the 'IP Fair' held at the headquarters in Giheung, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Samsung SDI

Samsung SDI announced on the 21st that it held an 'IP Fair' at its headquarters in Giheung, Yongin-si, Gyeonggi-do. The IP Fair is an event held for the first time this year to raise employees' awareness of patents and encourage patent applications.

This event was conducted for the first time this year.

The event was attended by about 200 employees, including key executives such as CEO Choi Yoon-ho, Park Jin, Head of the Medium and Large Battery Business Division (Vice President), Kim Yoon-chang, Head of the SDI Research Institute (Vice President), Kim Jong-sung, Head of the Management Support Office (Vice President), and Lee Seung-gyu, Head of the Legal Team (Vice President). It was broadcast live online to all employees.

The event began with an opening speech by Lee Seung-gyu, Head of the Legal Team, on the importance of patents and Samsung SDI's IP strategy, followed by awards in three categories totaling nine cases: four 'Outstanding Invention' awards (individual), four 'Outstanding Department' awards (team), and one 'IP Award.'

In the 'Outstanding Invention' category, recipients included Pro Kim Seok-ki, who contributed to the invention related to the 'ESS Battery Rack,' Pro Ahn Gang-sik (related to small pack electric components), Pro Lee Byung-kwan (related to OLED materials), and Pro Kim Soo-hee (related to safety-enhancing binders).

In the 'Outstanding Department' category, four departments with high contributions to patents by business division were selected as exemplary cases. Pro Byeon Sang-won, who was involved in about 1,000 patent applications including 'Current Collector Shape and Stability Reinforcement Structure for Medium and Large Battery Electrode Assemblies and Terminal Connections,' was honored with the 'IP Award.'

Following the awards, there was a special lecture by employees who received the 'Hidden Hero' and 'S.G.A.A (SDI Global Annual Awards) IP Division Special Award' at the end of last year, along with a session sharing the winning cases of the 'Outstanding Department.' The Hidden Hero system identifies and encourages employees who quietly implement the CEO’s management policies in their duties on a quarterly basis.

On this day, CEO Choi Yoon-ho said, "IP competitiveness is one of the core competencies for Samsung SDI to leap forward as a global top-tier company," adding, "Securing competitive IP is an essential factor to achieve a super-gap in technological competitiveness."

Since introducing the employee invention compensation system in 1983, Samsung SDI has diversified compensation standards and expanded support coverage. Samsung SDI selects Hidden Heroes related to patents every quarter and has established a separate 'IP Division Special Award' at the end of the year for additional recognition.

Additionally, Samsung SDI has erected a 'Patent Wall' within the SDI Research Institute, engraving the names of patent inventors and patent numbers on plaques, and selects the 'Patent Champion' who has made the most outstanding and numerous inventions over the year, thereby enhancing individual researchers' pride and strengthening patent competitiveness.

Based on these institutional supports, Samsung SDI is actively filing patents by selecting technologies that can secure superiority and differentiation not only in Korea but also in major countries including the United States and Europe.

In particular, the number of new patent applications in the battery sector is doubling every year, and Samsung SDI is expanding patent applications related to next-generation batteries such as all-solid-state batteries to secure future super-gap technological competitiveness.

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