Battery Industry Day Awards

Umicore’s Battery Materials Business Group in Korea announces that one of its R&D Directors Ryu, Woon-Hyoung, was awarded the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) Commendation. 

The commendation was granted to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to Korea’s battery industry through technological innovation and competitive advancement at the ‘2024 Battery Industry Day’ hosted by MOTIE and organized by the Korean Battery Industry Association (KBIA) on November 1. 

Ryu has been recognized for his crucial role in a market that previously lacked R&D capabilities in developing and commercializing NCM (nickel, cobalt, and manganese) products, and localizing cathode active material production facilities. Ryu joined Umicore Korea in 2005 as the first battery materials researcher. The technology center that he started at the time with just four researchers under his leadership, has over the years grown into a global R&D hub with over 250 researchers. Overall, his achievements have significantly contributed to enhancing the competitiveness of the Korean battery industry. 

Established in 1999 at Cheonan’s Foreign Industrial Complex, Umicore Battery Materials in Korea became the first company in Korea to produce cathode active materials for lithium-ion batteries. In 2006, Umicore opened its first technology center in Cheonan dedicated to cathode active materials and further expanded by establishing a new global R&D center in 2022 within the same industrial complex where the production plants are located.