Pohang City and SK Ecoplant to Fully Foster Battery and Innovation Technology Startups

SK Ecoplant Co-hosts Technology Contest, Collaborates on Battery R&D and Commercialization

Six Startups Selected as Winners... Pohang-based Startups 'Twoen' and 'Amber Road' Awarded

Pohang City, in collaboration with SK Ecoplant, a leading domestic eco-friendly and new energy company, jointly hosted the ‘2024 Tech Open Collaboration’ technology contest to lead the future of the sustainable K-battery industry. On the 16th, an award ceremony for the winning companies was held at the Grand Walkerhill Hotel in Seoul.

Pohang City and SK Ecoplant jointly held the '2024 Tech Open Collaboration' technology contest and held an awards ceremony on the 16th for the winning companies.

Attending the ceremony were Deputy Mayor Jang Sanggil, SK Ecoplant CEO Kim Hyeonggeun, SK Oceanplant CEO Lee Seungcheol, SK Securities CEO Jeon Woojong, Renewus CEO Kwon Jihoon, Korea Startup Promotion Agency Acting President Choi Yeolsoo, Seoul Center for Creative Economy & Innovation Director Lee Younggeun, Chungnam Center for Creative Economy & Innovation Director Kang Heejun, Sogang University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation Director Shin Kwanwoo, and about 60 other related officials.

Tech Open Collaboration is an innovative technology discovery contest hosted and implemented annually by SK Ecoplant since 2021. Pohang City became a co-host this year together with various startup innovation agencies nationwide, following the signing of a ‘Battery Open Innovation Operation Business Agreement’ with SK Ecoplant last April.

The contest was held in eight fields of demand technology: ▲battery ▲energy ▲eco-friendly ▲air pollution ▲marine/offshore wind power ▲AI/DT ▲eco-friendly materials ▲smart construction. Out of 23 companies that passed the document screening, six startups were finally selected as winners through the 1st and 2nd PT evaluations.

Notably, among the winning companies, two Pohang-based startups, TwoN and Amber Road, were selected, once again demonstrating Pohang City’s strong R&D innovation capabilities in future growth industries such as batteries.

TwoN (CEO Kim Jaehoon) was recognized for its ‘wastewater treatment technology for waste batteries using distillation membranes,’ securing a leading position and scalability in the rapidly growing secondary battery wastewater treatment and water recovery market.

TwoN is a three-year-old startup founded by domestic and international professionals in new materials and electronics, based on the experience of CEO Kim Jaehoon, who worked for 22 years at a Japanese semiconductor equipment company. The company has recently obtained key technology patents in the secondary battery and eco-friendly industries and is experiencing rapid growth by signing contracts with major domestic conglomerates and overseas companies.

Amber Road (CEO Lim Eonho) achieved recognition with its ‘business operation cost visualization and analysis technology using data analytics and AI modeling’ for standardizing productivity indicators at battery-related business sites.

Within just three months of establishment, Amber Road secured 900 million KRW in investment and was selected for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups’ technology startup program (TIPS). Currently, its AI solutions are being applied to 13 major companies, including POSCO and Kia.

Pohang City plans to support joint R&D, future commercialization, and investment attraction for the winning companies in collaboration with SK Ecoplant. Through various open innovation programs and cooperation with related organizations, the city aims to create a differentiated industrial ecosystem of the highest caliber in Korea and establish itself as a global core city for secondary batteries.

Deputy Mayor Jang Sanggil stated, “Startups are the key drivers of the future industrial economy and the realization of a battery powerhouse. By consolidating the capabilities of battery innovation companies and related institutions, we will establish a platform that connects technology, startups, growth, and reinvestment, leading the way for sustainable growth of the battery industry and the city.”

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