EcoPro Unveils Cathode Material Technology and Materials Roadmap at Pohang Battery Expo

[Financial News] EcoPro presented at its expo booth the secondary-battery materials ecosystem it has built through investments of approximately 3.3 trillion won in Pohang since 2017. It laid out a product roadmap spanning high-nickel and mid-nickel materials, sodium-ion batteries (SIB), materials for lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries, and solid electrolytes. Building on its precursor, cathode material and recycling base developed in Pohang, EcoPro aims to strengthen its competitiveness in overseas supply chains with an integrated system extending from raw material sourcing to recycling.
On the 15th, EcoPro said it had participated in International Battery Expo 2026 Pohang, held at Pohang Manindang Gymnasium since the 13th. Now in its second year, the expo is dedicated to the secondary battery industry and covers the entire battery industry cycle, from materials and components to end-of-life battery recycling.
EcoPro’s booth was organized around seven themes: cooperation with the Pohang community, the global value chain, strengths in ternary cathode materials, cathode material technology, the Closed Loop system, the product roadmap, and its lithium business.
Since 2017, the EcoPro Group has invested approximately 3.3 trillion won in Pohang to build a secondary-battery materials ecosystem linking precursors, cathode materials and recycling. EcoPro says that by establishing a Closed Loop system that circulates materials from raw material sourcing through recycling, it has helped Pohang emerge as a hub city for the secondary battery industry. It highlighted community partnership initiatives such as the “Mother Box” program supporting families from vulnerable groups with newborns, the distribution of traffic safety umbrellas for children, and a project to create Happy Villages. It also said it had been selected as a Community Contribution Recognition Company for seven consecutive years.
The global value chain display showcased a supply chain linking BNSI’s nickel smelter in Indonesia, a cathode material plant in Debrecen, Hungary, and production facilities in Korea, covering raw material sourcing, production and recycling. EcoPro expects high-nickel ternary cathode materials, with their high energy density, to find wider applications beyond electric vehicles, including humanoid robots, urban air mobility (UAM), and aerospace.
The product roadmap featured a portfolio for the mid- to low-priced market, including mid-nickel cathode materials based on technology developed for high-nickel materials, SIB, and cathode materials for LFP, as well as solid electrolyte technology, a key material for all-solid-state batteries.
At a conference held alongside the expo, Kwon Oh-seok, an executive director in the Investment Management Division at EcoPro Partners, gave a presentation on the 13th titled “The Role of Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) and Open Innovation,” introducing innovation ecosystems in the battery industry and strategies for working with startups.
“As a company that grew in Pohang, we feel a sense of mission to work with the local community to strengthen the competitiveness of Korea’s battery industry,” said Choi Sang-woon, CEO of EcoPro.
The CEO added, “Through continued investment and technological innovation, we will strengthen our global competitiveness and also work to boost the local economy and create quality jobs.”
[email protected] Kim Dong-chan Reporter