It is understood that all three major South Korean battery manufacturers were required to "share core technology information" during their investment process in the United States.
In an effort to seize market share and prevent customer loss, the South Korean battery industry has been pushing for partnerships with automakers to build factories. Automakers can also secure a stable battery supply at below-market prices through this arrangement. While this appears to be a win-win situation, it carries the risk of technology leakage.
It is understood that LG Chem previously decided to establish a battery joint venture with General Motors and set up three factories in the United States. During the negotiations with LG Chem regarding the joint venture, General Motors stated that it requested battery output test data directly related to battery safety and stability "in order to confirm battery safety".
Industry experts say, "Tracing back the test data could reveal key knowledge and technologies related to battery design and manufacturing. Even a small amount of information could be very helpful to automakers."
Forbes points out that most major automakers will eventually choose to build their own battery factories, and collaborating with other battery companies is merely a transitional approach for now. Furthermore, when Ford was negotiating a battery joint venture with SKOn, a battery manufacturer under the South Korean SK Group, it also demanded the sharing of battery density-related technologies.
In response, an official from South Korea's Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "To my knowledge, Ford and SK On are still locked in a tug-of-war over technology sharing." Nikkei Asia points out that if this tug-of-war continues, cooperation between the US and South Korea in battery production may come to a standstill. Meanwhile, Samsung SDI, which is preparing to establish a battery plant in the US, may also be affected.
It's worth noting that, according to South Korea's current Industrial Technology Protection Act, leaking related core technologies can result in imprisonment for more than three years and a fine of up to 1.5 billion won (approximately 779,000 yuan). Furthermore, at the end of last year, the South Korean government decided to designate globally competitive technologies such as semiconductors, batteries, and shipbuilding as national core technologies, and is currently carrying out related work.
