Ecopro showcases next-generation battery materials at Pohang expo

Ecopro announced Sunday that it is participating in the International Battery Expo 2026 Pohang, held at Manindan Gymnasium in Pohang from Friday through Dec. 3.

At the expo, Ecopro is presenting the secondary battery materials ecosystem it has built in Pohang, its community partnership achievements, its global value chain, and its next-generation battery materials technology.

Now in its second year, the International Battery Expo 2026 Pohang is a specialized secondary battery trade fair showcasing technology and future vision across the entire battery industry lifecycle — from materials and components to end-of-life battery recycling.

Ecopro's exhibition booth is organized around seven themes: community co-growth with the Pohang region, its global value chain, strengths in ternary cathode materials, cathode material technology, a closed-loop system, a product roadmap, and its lithium business.

Since 2017, the Ecopro Group has invested approximately 3.3 trillion won ($2.48 billion) in Pohang, building one of South Korea's leading secondary battery materials ecosystems linking precursor production, cathode materials and recycling.

The company also highlighted its track record of growing alongside the local community. Ecopro has carried out a range of social contribution activities, including providing mother boxes for vulnerable families with newborns, distributing children's traffic-safety umbrellas, and developing community improvement projects. These efforts have earned the company recognition as a "community contribution enterprise" for seven consecutive years.

In addition, Ecopro unveiled its global value chain, which runs from raw material procurement through production to recycling, spanning the BNSI nickel smelter in Indonesia, a cathode material factory in Debrecen, Hungary, and its domestic production bases.

Ecopro also put a particular spotlight on its high-nickel ternary cathode materials, which have demonstrated competitiveness in global markets. "High-nickel cathode materials, with their high energy density, are expected to expand their application beyond electric vehicles into future industries such as humanoid robots, urban air mobility and aerospace," a company official said.

The company also laid out its product development roadmap for capturing future markets. Building on the technological expertise accumulated in high-nickel materials, Ecopro introduced a product portfolio targeting the mid- to low-cost segment — including mid-nickel cathode materials, sodium-ion batteries and cathode materials for LFP batteries. The company also presented its solid-state electrolyte technology, a key material for all-solid-state batteries, as part of its strategy for next-generation battery readiness.

Ecopro also took part in a conference running alongside the expo. Kwon Oh-seok, executive director of the investment management division at Ecopro Partners, delivered a presentation Friday on the role of corporate venture capital and open innovation, outlining strategies for fostering an innovation ecosystem in the battery industry and collaborating with startups.

"As a company that grew up in Pohang, Ecopro feels a sense of mission to contribute to strengthening South Korea's battery industry competitiveness together with the local community," Choi Sang-woon, chief executive of Ecopro, said. "We will continue to enhance our global competitiveness through sustained investment and technological innovation, and do our utmost to revitalize the regional economy and create quality jobs."

Meanwhile, Ecopro founder Lee Dong-chae, speaking at a ceremony marking the company's 28th anniversary held recently at its North Gyeongsang Province campus in Pohang, said the company must press ahead with technology development and cost competitiveness even amid a downturn in the battery market. Lee also expressed confidence in the growth potential of the ternary cathode materials market, forecasting rising demand for high-energy-density batteries from new industries including robotics and AI, in addition to electric vehicles.

At the anniversary event, the company looked back on its growth journey and shared plans for securing technological competitiveness in response to shifts in the battery materials industry.