Korea National University of Transportation to Establish Secondary Battery Technology Center in 2026

Korea National University of Transportation has been finally selected for the 'Eco-friendly Secondary Battery Manufacturing Process Technology Center Establishment Project.' This project, to be pursued with a total budget of 18.1 billion won, is being advanced amidst the increasing importance of securing eco-friendly process technology due to tightening carbon emission regulations in the global secondary battery industry and the introduction of Europe's 'Battery Passport' system.

The technology center will be established on the grounds of the Chungcheong Campus of the Advanced Technology Institute (ATI) in Chungju Corporate City. This will be a collaborative project involving industry, academia, research, and government, with ATI's Chungcheong Campus taking the lead, and participation from the Chungcheongbuk-do Provincial Government, Chungju City, Korea National University of Transportation, and the Chungbuk Energy Industry-Academia Convergence Institute.

The project's key components include support for eco-friendly secondary battery recycling process technology, establishment of an environmental hazard assessment and integrated monitoring system for each process, and support for verifying the physical, electrochemical performance, and reliability of recycled materials. A core objective is to build a one-stop safety management technology support system that covers the entire lifecycle process, from securing recycled raw materials and precursor manufacturing to cathode material production and battery application evaluation.

Korea National University of Transportation's Department of Transportation Energy Convergence and Department of Secondary Battery Engineering will simultaneously promote the cultivation of specialized personnel and technological advancement in the secondary battery field in conjunction with the RISE (Regional Innovation System & Education) project. Through this, an innovation model organically linking education, research, and industry will be established, and practical talent will be nurtured and the technological competitiveness of regional companies will be strengthened through customized, demand-driven education and joint industry-academia-research collaborations.