LG Electronics Opens New Market with New Material Marine Glass

LG Electronics is strengthening its functional new materials business in the business-to-business (B2B) area by promoting its independently developed water-soluble glass powder 'Marine Glass', which promotes the growth of marine organisms.

LG Electronics announced on the 27th that it signed a business agreement with the Seoul National University Blue Carbon Business Group on the 26th for 'Technology Exchange for Blue Carbon Industry Activation'.

Under this agreement, LG Electronics and the Blue Carbon Business Group plan to carry out a demonstration project for marine ecosystem restoration using 'Marine Glass' and to discover new businesses and develop technologies to activate the blue carbon industry domestically and internationally. Blue carbon is the carbon absorbed and stored by marine and coastal ecosystems. It is known to absorb carbon faster and store more carbon compared to terrestrial ecosystems, and is being spotlighted as a new solution to global warming.

LG Electronics' 'Marine Glass' is a functional glass material that promotes the growth of seaweed and microalgae. Like salt dissolving in water, it transforms into mineral ions when it meets water. LG Electronics has developed and applied a technology that precisely controls this component to dissolve at a constant amount and speed through more than six years of research and development. The mineral ions become nutrients for seaweed and microalgae, and are expected to help long-term recovery of marine forests destroyed by pollution and overfishing of marine resources, as well as contribute to marine ecosystem restoration and carbon reduction.

LG Electronics sees the potential for creating various business opportunities by collaborating with other industries using 'Marine Glass'. Microalgae inhabiting the sea are used as raw materials for pharmaceuticals and health functional foods, and are also noted as a sustainable energy source because they generate biomass used as fuel for generators.

Meanwhile, LG Electronics is strengthening its capabilities by marking the new materials business as one of the new B2B business areas. It has filed 420 patents related to glass powder so far.

soup@fnnews.com Lim Soo-bin Reporter