Samsung SDI Co., South Korea’s third-largest battery maker, is boosting its technological competitiveness in China through the establishment of a new battery research and development center in Shanghai, the battery maker said.
Samsung SDI established SDI R&D Europe in Munich last July and SDI R&D America in Boston last August. Analysts see this move by the Korean company as part of an effort to secure core technologies specific to each country by establishing global centers in major bases around the world.
“The purpose of establishing R&D centers overseas is to secure global technological capabilities and talent pools in the respective regional cluster,” said Choi Yoon-ho, president and chief executive officer of Samsung SDI, in a statement. “We plan to further strengthen our edge in technological competitiveness through cooperation with excellent universities and research institutes.”
The new SDI R&D China is expected to develop materials related to battery performance and fast charging technology with a focus on developing low-cost materials. Toward this end, the research center plans to establish cooperative networks and partnerships with Chinese universities and research institutes to secure local battery technologies and identify corporate trends. A new research lab under the center will focus on discovering new functional and affordable materials.
China has the largest number of universities, research institutes and companies in the world that are engaged in the battery industry.
In 2020, Beijing announced plans to bolster its battery industry in its New Energy Vehicle Industrial Development Plan. Furthermore, over 30 Chinese universities run programs to foster battery experts while many businesses and research institutions own the infrastructure to develop battery cells and related materials.
