KIER successfully hosts the 4th Korea-Canada battery R&D workshop

The Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER, President Yi, Chang-Keun) hosted the 4th Korea-Canada Battery R&D Workshop in Montreal, Canada, over two days on Tuesday, July 29 and Wednesday, July 30, 2025.

Canada possesses some of the world’s largest reserves of key minerals essential for battery production, such as lithium, and is regarded as a major alternative supply source to help address the domestic industry’s heavy reliance on Chinese resources and the resulting supply chain instability.

Since co-hosting the first workshop in 2022 with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), KIER has continued to hold the battery technology-focused workshop annually, marking its fourth workshop this year. Notably, since 2023, the scope of participation has expanded to include leading institutions, companies, and universities from both countries.

The workshop, organized by KIER, brought together 18 key institutions from industry, academia, and research, including the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST), NRC, POSCO Future M, and McGill University. Participants focused on major issues in the battery sector, such as lithium-ion battery anode materials, solid-state batteries, recycling technologies, and the critical mineral supply chain.

Prior to the workshop, KIER held meetings with NRC and NRCan to explore the feasibility of establishing a Korea-Canada Joint Research Center for Battery Technology and discussed the creation of a government-led joint research fund. The parties also exchanged views on expanding collaborative institutions, laying the groundwork for strengthening R&D partnerships between the two countries.

During the workshop, KIER and the National Research Council of Canada’s Clean Energy Innovation Center (NRC CEI) signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for joint research. As a center responsible for Canada’s energy and industrial transition, NRC CEI plans to actively promote international joint research and personnel exchanges with KIER in the fields of hydrogen and batteries, while also expanding areas of collaborative research.

In his opening remarks at the workshop, Kim Young-sik, Chairperson of the National Research Council of Science & Technology (NST), stated, “As the competition for technological supremacy intensifies, diversifying supply chains for battery minerals and strengthening international cooperation have become essential.” NST will provide full institutional and financial support to ensure that the relationship between our two countries evolves from simple exchange to a strategic partnership.”

Han Seong Ok, Vice President of KIER, who led the workshop, remarked, “Over the past four years, KIER has not only advanced joint research in the battery sector through this workshop, but also made significant contributions to shaping bilateral policy agendas.” She added, “Building on our strong partnership with Canada, KIER will continue to actively promote joint research and platform sharing, striving to drive innovation in battery technologies.”

In addition, on Wednesday, July 30, KIER co-hosted a “Hydrogen Energy Technology Session” with the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), where major Canadian institutions shared research outcomes on hydrogen production, storage, and utilization technologies. The session also explored opportunities for collaboration in full-cycle hydrogen demonstration and evaluation technology development.