EcoPro marks 28th anniversary... Lee Dong-chae: “Companies that prepare for the future during downturns are the true powerhouses”

[Financial News] EcoPro, which began as a venture company in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, marked its 28th anniversary by pledging to open up a future for ternary cathode materials, guided by a “never-give-up spirit of challenge.” Founder Lee Dong-chae stressed that companies that prepare for the future during downturns ultimately pull ahead, and urged employees to boost their technological and quality competitiveness, lower costs, and respond proactively to the future customers want.
EcoPro held a ceremony marking its 28th anniversary at its Pohang campus in North Gyeongsang Province on the 22nd. At the event, employees shared the company’s DNA of pioneering markets and united behind its ambition to become a leading company in the global battery materials market.
In his commemorative address, founder Lee Dong-chae said, “As a pioneer in the environmental market, we have contributed to strengthening national competitiveness by localizing environmental technologies,” adding, “EcoPro’s history has been one of taking the road no one else had taken.”
He went on to emphasize, “While others were watching the market, we were looking to the future, and the market ultimately moved in the direction we had prepared for.”
The founder also offered his outlook on the battery market. He predicted, “Demand for batteries with higher energy density will continue to grow—not only for electric vehicles, but also for robots, AI, and next-generation mobility industries,” adding, “The opportunity for ternary batteries will surely open up in a big way.”
He urged employees, saying, “Companies that prepare for the future during downturns are the true powerhouses,” and, “Let’s further advance our unrivaled technologies, strengthen our quality competitiveness, lower costs even more, and proactively prepare for the future our customers want.”
EcoPro established itself in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, in 1998, starting with one employee and 100 million won in capital. It pioneered Korea’s environmental industry by localizing chemical filters for semiconductor processes, which had previously depended on imports, and developing catalyst technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In the early 2000s, it entered the secondary-battery cathode materials business and established itself as a key pillar of the electric-vehicle value chain. In 2013, it won recognition for its technological capabilities by supplying NCA (nickel, cobalt, aluminum) cathode materials to global electronics company Sony, paving the way for its entry into overseas markets.
Since then, the company has focused on expanding production capacity and strengthening supply-chain competitiveness. From 2017 to the present, it has invested about 3.3 trillion won to build a closed-loop ecosystem in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, spanning precursor, cathode materials, and recycling businesses, establishing itself as a leading company in the global battery industry.
EcoPro said its 28-year history is an example of balanced regional development. It began operations in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province, rather than the Seoul metropolitan area, and built a large-scale cathode materials value chain in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province. It said that nine out of every 10 employees come from outside Seoul and the Seoul metropolitan area, and that the company grew into a global materials company by hiring local talent.
The founder stressed, “People create technology, people drive innovation, and people shape the future,” adding, “EcoPro’s most valuable asset is not its equipment, buildings, or capital, but its people.”
Meanwhile, the ceremony also included an awards presentation for employees who had embodied EcoPro’s values of “challenge,” “innovation,” and “trust.”

[email protected] Kim Dong-chan Reporter