Hyundai Motor, SNU open joint battery research center

Hyundai Motor Group opened a battery research center at Seoul National University (SNU) Tuesday to accelerate joint battery development and foster young talent.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, fifth from left, and Seoul National University (SNU) President Ryu Hong-lim, sixth from left, are joined by other executives and officials from the two parties for a photo at an opening ceremony of the joint battery research center at SNU's Gwanak Main Campus in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on Tuesday. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor Group opened a battery research center at Seoul National University (SNU) Tuesday to accelerate joint battery development and foster young talent.

The 901-square-meter (9,698-square-foot) three-floor center at SNU's Gwanak Main Campus in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, has seven laboratories for 22 joint battery development projects.

The opening follows Hyundai and SNU's memorandum of understanding, signed in November 2021, that promised cooperation on realizing carbon neutrality and creating a battery research ecosystem.

The research will focus on four sectors designed for next-generation batteries, including high-durability lithium metal batteries and solid-state batteries that are touted for their high energy density and safety.

Hyundai Motor Group will invest 30 billion won ($24 million) by 2030 for the projects.

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung gives a speech at an opening ceremony of its joint battery research center with SNU at the school's Gwanak Main Campus in Gwanak District, southern Seoul, on Tuesday. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

“Our mission to develop a diverse range of mobility solutions equipped with advanced batteries is driven by our strong commitment to a sustainable environment for future generations," Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung said during an opening ceremony held Tuesday at SNU's Gwanak Main Campus.

The center has the same research infrastructure as that in the Hyundai Motor and Kia R&D centers, Hyundai said, including precision battery analysis equipment, high-precision rheometers, cell manufacturing equipment, and impedance measuring devices.

SNU Professor Choi Jang-woo was appointed as the head of the battery research center. Researchers from Hyundai Motor and Kia will be dispatched to the center as members of the joint research team.

Some students who participate in the research projects will be selected and offered scholarship and internship programs at Hyundai Motor and Kia, and they will also enjoy priority hiring.

Hyundai previously announced that it will invest a total of 9.5 trillion won over 10 years to produce 3.64 million EVs by 2030. It hopes to reduce the cost price of batteries by 45 percent in 2030.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]