SK On Strengthens Technological Leadership with "Future Technology Institute Academic Conference"

Lee Seokhee, CEO:
"Spreading a Research-Driven Culture...
Relentless Pursuit of Innovation"

SK On has held the Future Technology Institute Academic Conference to strengthen its technological leadership. The company plans to use this event as a platform for knowledge exchange that uncovers researchers' creative ideas and connects them to tangible technological competitiveness, thereby spreading a research-driven organizational culture.

On the 15th, the "1st Future Technology Institute Academic Conference" was held at the SK On Future Technology Institute in Daejeon. Key attendees and SK On researchers are posing for a commemorative photo, including Park Kisu, Head of SK On Future Technology Institute (4th from the left in the middle row), Lee Jangwon, Chief Technology Officer of SK On (3rd from the left in the back row), Pi Seungho, Head of Manufacturing at SK On (4th from the left in the back row), and Choi Jangwook, Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Seoul National University (3rd from the left in the middle row). SK On

On October 16, SK On announced that it had held the "1st Future Technology Institute Academic Conference" at the Future Technology Institute in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. The event, which was also broadcast online on October 15 under the theme "Connecting Future Technologies," was attended by Park Kisu, Head of SK On Future Technology Institute, Lee Jangwon, Chief Technology Officer, and others.

During the event, SK On recognized members who proposed innovative processes and technologies to improve battery quality and production efficiency in various fields such as systems, processes, and cells. The competition was intense, with more than half of all Future Technology Institute employees submitting entries for this academic conference.

The grand prize was awarded to a research team that utilized machine learning and deep learning to predict welding strength and proposed methods for detecting welding defects. In addition, members who suggested and analyzed solutions for improving camber-a phenomenon where thin aluminum foil twists or becomes distorted during manufacturing-and those who identified causes of performance degradation when cells are left idle, received the top excellence award and the excellence award, respectively.

The evaluation was conducted blindly based on five criteria: subject relevance, research differentiation, contribution to results, creativity of the paper, and practicality. A total of 27 research projects passed the first round of review, and three final winners were selected in the second round.

SK On also held a poster exhibition in the conference hall lobby. Authors of papers that passed the first round of review directly introduced their research to colleagues, engaging in lively discussions and Q&A sessions. Members also voted on-site to select a popularity award winner.

Choi Jangwook, Professor at Seoul National University, delivered a keynote speech outlining changes in the global battery market and the current status and outlook of future secondary battery technologies. During the following Q&A session, SK On members and Professor Choi exchanged specific technical questions and discussed industry-academic trends.

In a congratulatory video message, SK On CEO Lee Seokhee stated, "All of the outstanding research at this academic conference represents valuable achievements that have innovatively addressed challenges in our field. We will continue to take on new challenges and enhance our research capabilities, making the spread of a research-driven organizational culture the driving force behind technological innovation."

In August, SK On changed the name of the "SK On Battery Research Institute" to the "SK On Future Technology Institute." The Future Technology Institute is currently developing technologies to diversify chemistries and form factors, such as all-solid-state batteries, lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, and prismatic batteries, aiming to secure both price competitiveness and product safety. Most recently, the institute completed a pilot plant for all-solid-state batteries within its facility.

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