[Edaily Reporter Choi Oh-hyun ] The collaboration between Samsung Group and HyundaiMotor Group is expanding beyond the supply of electric vehicle batteries to include joint design and the development of next-generation technologies. The two groups appear to be strengthening their technological alliance in response to intensifying global competition and the blurring of boundaries between industries.

According to the patent information search service KIPRIS on the 11th, a patent titled “Battery Pack and Vehicle Incorporating the Same,” jointly filed by SAMSUNG SDI CO.,LTD., HyundaiMotor, and KIA CORPORATION, was published on the 22nd of last month. This technology involves providing a gas vent at the bottom of the battery cell to discharge high-temperature gas generated during thermal runaway to the outside. The design integrates a gas venting space with an impact protection space to enhance the battery pack’s energy density while ensuring safety. Five researchers from HyundaiMotor and KIA CORPORATION, along with two researchers from SAMSUNG SDI CO.,LTD., are listed as inventors.

All-solid-state batteries are next-generation batteries that replace conventional liquid electrolytes with solids. If this technology becomes a reality, it is referred to as the “dream battery” because it poses a relatively lower risk of fire, offers higher energy density, enables faster charging, and provides longer service life. Currently, however, mass production is difficult due to complex manufacturing processes, and the technology lacks price competitiveness.

SAMSUNG SDI CO.,LTD. is accelerating the development of all-solid-state batteries with the goal of beginning mass production in the second half of next year. The company is pursuing a plan to prioritize the commercialization of products for humanoid robots over those for electric vehicles. Amid intensifying price competition in the battery market due to the low-cost offensive by China’s CATL and BYD, this is interpreted as a strategy to secure competitiveness by leveraging high-value-added technologies such as all-solid-state batteries.

For HyundaiMotor Group as well, securing stable, cutting-edge battery technology is crucial to reducing dependence on Chinese batteries and differentiating the driving range and safety of its next-generation premium electric vehicles. Securing next-generation battery technology is also vital for expanding applications to robots, which require advanced safety features in the medium to long term. In fact, the two companies signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) last February to jointly develop high-performance batteries specifically for robots.

The changing global competitive landscape also underlies the two sides’ strengthened cooperation. The two groups, once perceived as rivals representing South Korea’s business community, now find themselves in a situation where they must respond to the fierce pursuit by China’s so-called “Red Tech” companies. The blurring of boundaries between industries due to advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) technology has also played a role. The industrial ecosystem is shifting toward enhancing global competitiveness by strengthening collaboration from the research and development stage, rather than individual companies securing all core technologies independently.

In 2023, SAMSUNG SDI CO.,LTD. signed its first electric vehicle battery supply contract with HyundaiMotor and agreed to supply prismatic batteries for electric vehicles sold in Europe from this year through 2032. Furthermore, cooperation is expanding through joint development of next-generation technologies, such as all-solid-state batteries. From 2022 through last year, HyundaiMotor, KIA CORPORATION, and SAMSUNG SDI CO.,LTD. jointly filed nine patents related to all-solid-state batteries, including divisional applications.

Company-wide exchanges are also becoming more active. On the 9th, 177 executives and employees from Samsung and HyundaiMotor Group gathered at the Samsung Seocheon Training Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, where they invited HyundaiMotor Group executives to discuss collaboration strategies in the field of future mobility. This marks the first time Samsung has hosted an event on such a large scale, inviting executives and employees from a major domestic conglomerate. The two companies plan to expand their collaboration beyond batteries to various fields, including automotive semiconductors, displays, electronic components, and robotics.