Hanwha Aerospace has successfully completed a mock combat flight in South Korea of the Mojave STOL, a short-takeoff-and-landing unmanned aircraft system (UAS) it is jointly developing with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI).

Hanwha Aerospace said the Mojave took off from the Republic of Korea Army's 513th Aviation Battalion airfield during the 2026 Defense Drone Technology Exhibition in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, on Sept. 16 and landed on a tank maneuver road. The aircraft then took off again from the site and returned to the airfield.

The Mojave is equipped with a 450-horsepower turboprop engine and high-lift devices, allowing it to take off and land within distances of 100 to 300 meters. During the demonstration, it took off in less than 200 meters and landed within a distance in the 100-meter range.

The Mojave can carry up to 1 metric ton of mission equipment. Depending on its equipment configuration, it can be used for ground attack, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, logistics transport and communications relay missions.

Hanwha Aerospace plans to establish R&D and production infrastructure for the Mojave in South Korea. The company aims to raise the share of domestic production to more than 70% once the aircraft enters mass production.

LG Energy Solution is consolidating its research and development (R&D) capabilities in Gwacheon. The company is expanding its R&D scope from battery packs and battery management systems (BMS) to materials.

LG Energy Solution has completed the first phase of expansion work at its Gwacheon R&D Campus and began the second phase this month, according to industry sources on Sept. 16. The company plans to obtain approval for use of the expanded building by the end of 2028 and begin operations in 2029. It has been conducting preliminary construction and site preparation for the campus expansion since early last year.

The second phase, which began this month, involves construction of the structural framework for a new research building. Xi C&A is handling construction. Xi C&A has also participated in construction projects for LG Energy Solution's Ochang Energy Plant and plants in Nanjing, China, and Poland.

LG Energy Solution decided in late 2024 to expand the Gwacheon campus. The company needed additional research space as it broadened its research scope from battery packs and BMS to materials. The site opened in 2015 as an R&D base before LG Chem spun off its battery business.

Administrative procedures for the expansion were completed last year. LG Energy Solution reached a final agreement with Gwacheon City in October last year following preliminary negotiations on expanding the research facilities. Gwacheon City agreed to pursue changes to its urban management plan needed for the expansion, while LG Energy Solution agreed to provide more than 70 billion won to the city through public contributions and land donations.

Under the construction schedule, structural work on the new research building is expected to be completed by March 2028. The building will have three basement levels and seven above-ground floors, with a total floor area of about 22,425 square meters. Following interior facility work, R&D equipment will be brought in sequentially starting in June that year. Commissioning and finishing work will begin in September, with approval for use targeted for the end of December. The building will be used as research space starting in 2029.

LG Energy Solution operates R&D institutes in Daejeon, Gwacheon and Magok in Seoul. It also uses LG Electronics' Seocho R&D Campus as research space. Battery technologies developed at the research facilities are tested for mass-production feasibility on pilot lines before being applied to actual production. A key site is the Ochang Energy Plant. LG Energy Solution is building pilot lines there for all-solid-state batteries and sodium-ion batteries to develop process and mass-production technologies for next-generation batteries.

The company is also expanding its R&D infrastructure overseas. LG Energy Solution's Nanjing subsidiary in China established a materials research facility inside an existing battery plant this year. The facility is equipped to analyze and test battery raw materials and samples to study material properties and their performance in battery applications.

LG Energy Solution holds Battery Tech Conferences (BTC) in South Korea and overseas each year to recruit master's and doctoral-level talent. CEO Kim Dong-myung has attended BTC events since last year as part of efforts to recruit researchers. The company is also expanding next-generation battery research through joint research centers with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), the University of Münster in Germany and the Helmholtz Institute.

LG Energy Solution has increased R&D investment despite a slowdown in the battery industry. Revenue fell about 30% to 23.6718 trillion won last year from 33.7455 trillion won in 2023. Over the same period, R&D spending rose about 28% to 1.3278 trillion won from 1.0374 trillion won. R&D spending as a percentage of revenue increased to 5.6% from 3.1%. The company spent 725.9 billion won on R&D in the first half of this year.

HD Construction Equipment will supply 45 mid- to large-sized excavators for a railway extension project in Hong Kong.

HD Construction Equipment said on Sept. 16 it will supply 45 DEVELON excavators for the Tung Chung Line Extension project led by MTR Corporation.

The order consists of seven 53-ton large excavators and 38 mid- to large-sized excavators ranging from 14 to 36 tons.

The equipment will be deployed for construction of a new station and an approximately 1.2-kilometer railway extension. As the construction site is located on reclaimed coastal land, demand is also expected for specialized equipment such as long-reach arms for extended-range operations.

Including this order, HD Construction Equipment has sold 75 excavators in Hong Kong this year. The company plans to increase annual sales in the market to more than 100 units by 2029.

Samsung Electronics, LG Electronics, SK Innovation, LS Cable & System and LS Marine Solution unveiled power and energy technologies aimed at addressing the expansion of artificial intelligence (AI) and the energy transition.

The companies are participating in the 2026 World Climate Industry Expo (WCE), held at BEXCO in Busan from Sept. 16 to Sept. 18.

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics showcased heat pumps and high-efficiency appliances, while SK Innovation presented integrated power solutions for AI data centers. LS Cable & System and LS Marine Solution displayed power grid technologies for transmitting large amounts of electricity.

Samsung Electronics unveiled its "EHS All-in-One" heat pump, which provides cooling, heating and hot water with a single outdoor unit. The company also displayed AI data center cooling solutions developed in collaboration with FläktGroup, which it acquired last year, as well as central heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) products for large buildings. It also introduced SmartThings-based energy management technology and appliances with the highest energy-efficiency rating.

LG Electronics showcased high-efficiency residential solutions centered on its air-source "LG Therma V Heat Pump Boiler." The product generates about four to five times as much thermal energy as the electricity it consumes. LG Electronics also displayed air conditioners and washer-dryers incorporating heat pump technology, as well as an e-paper display that consumes more than 99% less power than conventional digital signage.

SK Innovation unveiled an integrated energy solution for large-scale electricity consumers including AI data centers. The solution combines renewable energy, battery energy storage systems (BESS), small modular reactors (SMRs) and liquefied natural gas (LNG) combined heat and power generation based on customers' electricity demand. SK Innovation had secured a global renewable energy pipeline of about 5.3 gigawatts (GW) as of the end of May this year.

LS Cable & System and LS Marine Solution introduced a "one-stop integrated power grid" connecting renewable energy generation sites with electricity consumers. They displayed submarine cables that transmit electricity generated by offshore wind farms to land and superconducting cables for high-capacity power transmission. LS Cable & System has commercialized 500-kilovolt (kV) high-voltage direct current (HVDC) cable technology, while LS Marine Solution has experience installing HVDC submarine cables.

LS Cable & System also unveiled recyclable polypropylene (PP) cables and "CuFlake," a new copper material for copper foil made from copper scrap. The company also introduced resource-circulation technology that recycles cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) insulation from discarded cables.

Electronics and energy companies are expanding related businesses in response to rising power demand driven by the growth of the AI industry and the energy transition. Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics are focusing on reducing energy consumption in homes and buildings, while SK Innovation is targeting power generation and storage, and LS Cable & System and LS Marine Solution are focusing on transmission infrastructure.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) will cooperate with European satellite specialist Aerospacelab on the development of communications satellites for South Korea's low-Earth orbit satellite communications network, known as K-LEO.

KAI said Sept. 15 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Aerospacelab for strategic cooperation in the space business at World Space Business Week 2026 in Paris on Sept. 14.

The companies will cooperate on the K-LEO project, the joint development of next-generation commercial communications satellites and aviation-satellite convergence solutions. They will also jointly explore new business opportunities and consider establishing a joint venture in the future.

KAI will provide satellite design and manufacturing capabilities as well as systems integration technologies. Aerospacelab has technologies for LEO satellite communications systems, constellation operations and mass satellite production.

KAI aims to participate in the K-LEO project, which the South Korean government plans to establish by 2035.

"We will combine the strengths of the two companies to generate tangible business results in domestic and overseas satellite markets," said Kim Ji-hong, executive vice president and head of KAI's Future Convergence Technology Institute.

LG Energy Solution has introduced laser inspection technology that detects welding defects in real time during production of energy storage system (ESS) batteries. It is the first Korean battery maker to deploy nondestructive 100% inspection technology on a large-scale mass-production line. The equipment was supplied by US laser specialist IPG Photonics.

According to industry sources on Sept. 15, LG Energy Solution has installed nondestructive laser weld inspection equipment on its battery module assembly (BMA) lines for ESS batteries in the US. IPG Photonics has supplied more than 80 units since last year.

LG Energy Solution is using the laser inspection technology in the process of assembling its JF2 pouch-type lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells into modules. The system measures weld depth and internal conditions while metal components are being laser-welded. Unlike inspections performed separately after production, it can verify weld quality at mass-production speeds.

Weld quality directly affects battery performance and safety. Metal components including copper and aluminum are welded as multiple cells are assembled into a battery module. Uneven weld depth or microscopic internal defects can reduce electrical performance and cause durability problems over prolonged use.

Conventional inspection primarily uses cameras and sensors to examine weld shape, temperature and reflected light to identify defects. Internal defects often require destructive testing in which sample products are cut open or disassembled.

The nondestructive laser inspection adopted by LG Energy Solution can reduce reliance on post-production sampling. Because the internal condition of each product is checked during welding, defective products can be identified before moving to subsequent processes. It can also reduce the burden of reworking or scrapping defective products discovered later. The technology can be used regardless of battery form factor.

“There are few nondestructive inspection technologies capable of checking internal weld defects in battery modules at the same time as production,” an industry official said. “Other companies have tested laser nondestructive inspection with a small number of systems, but LG Energy Solution is the first to deploy it on this scale in mass production.”

IPG Photonics acquired Canadian laser-weld quality monitoring company Laser Depth Dynamics (LDD) in 2017, gaining technology for measuring laser weld depth. LDD developed technology that directly measures how deeply a laser melts metal during welding.

At the core is inline coherent imaging (ICI). The technology directs a low-power sensing laser along the same path as the welding laser to measure weld depth and geometry. Unlike cameras or sensors that indirectly assess weld conditions based on reflected light and temperature, ICI can directly measure actual weld depth with micrometer-level precision.

LG Energy Solution is rapidly expanding its ESS battery production capacity in North America. The company has increased its manufacturing footprint by converting local plants that previously produced electric-vehicle batteries to ESS production. Five sites are responsible for ESS battery production, including the Lansing and Holland plants in Michigan, NextStar Energy in Ontario, Canada, L-H Battery Company in Ohio and the Ultium Cells plant in Tennessee.

The company plans to secure more than 50 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of annual LFP battery production capacity for ESS applications in North America by the end of this year. Its cumulative ESS order backlog exceeds 140GWh. As production volumes increase, quality control that identifies welding defects during mass production becomes increasingly important.

LG Energy Solution has initially deployed the nondestructive laser inspection equipment for pouch-cell-based ESS modules. The technology can also be used for welding cylindrical and prismatic batteries. The company plans to mass-produce cylindrical batteries at its Arizona plant and prismatic batteries at its Lansing plant in Michigan.

Lasers are widely used to precisely join metal components in battery manufacturing. Typical applications include welding tabs that connect internal cell electrodes to external circuits, intercell connections, and electrode tabs to prismatic cans and caps. Because lasers can precisely process narrow areas without physical contact, they are also used for notching to form tab shapes in electrodes. Samsung SDI and SK On, as well as LG Energy Solution, are expanding the use of laser technologies in battery production.

LG Electronics will test a residential electrification model at an apartment building on Jeju Island, using heat pumps to provide heating, cooling and hot water with electricity.

LG Electronics said on Sept. 15 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Province Development Corp. and the Korea Institute of Industrial Technology for a residential heating and cooling electrification and Power-to-Heat (P2H) demonstration project at the Jeju International Convention Center.

The project will be conducted at Sinhyo Apartment in Seogwipo, Jeju. The seven-story building, with one basement level, has 12 occupied households. LG Electronics plans to complete the design by October, finish construction in December and then begin operating the demonstration system.

Each household will be equipped with a heat pump that uses a single outdoor unit to provide cooling and underfloor heating. Hot water will be supplied through a centralized system consisting of an air-source heat pump and a large hot-water storage tank installed in the building's ground-floor piloti area. The heat pumps will replace existing boilers and gas piping.

LG Electronics plans to use data from the demonstration to develop heat-pump systems for multifamily housing, including public rental housing, existing apartment renovations and new residential complexes.

"We will validate a heat-pump model optimized for heating, cooling and hot water in multifamily housing at an apartment building where residents actually live," said Oh Se-ki, vice president and head of LG Electronics' ES R&D center.

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) has developed a 100-megawatt (MW) floating power generation facility capable of supplying electricity to artificial intelligence (AI) data centers and other facilities.

HD KSOE said on Sept. 15 that it received Approval in Principle (AIP) from the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for the 100MW floating power generation facility. The company has secured key technologies including the basic conceptual design, electrical single-line diagram and stability assessment.

The floating power generation facility uses power-generation engines to produce electricity offshore and supply it to facilities on land. It can be used for data centers and industrial complexes that require large amounts of electricity or in areas where building land-based power plants is difficult.

HD KSOE designed the facility to supply up to 100MW of electricity using its independently developed medium-sized HiMSEN engines. The company plans to enter the market after completing detailed design work and obtaining additional certifications.

"We will advance our floating power generation technology to address the global power infrastructure market," an HD KSOE official said.

SEC, a company specializing in core electron-beam technologies, has won an additional order for defense inspection equipment from Hanwha Aerospace. The contract is its third following deals in May and June, raising its defense linear accelerator (LINAC) order backlog to 34.4 billion won.

SEC said in a regulatory filing on Sept. 15 that it signed a 7.4 billion won contract with Hanwha Aerospace to supply defense inspection equipment. The contract is equivalent to about 12.5% of SEC’s total revenue of 59.2 billion won last year.

SEC has been expanding its supply of defense inspection equipment to Hanwha Aerospace this year. It signed a 9.3 billion won contract in May, followed by an additional 4.2 billion won equipment order in June. Including the latest deal, confirmed contracts with Hanwha Aerospace this year total 20.9 billion won.

The successive orders have also expanded the revenue base of SEC’s defense business. Its defense LINAC order backlog stood at about 27 billion won as of its first-half report this year. Including the latest 7.4 billion won contract, the backlog rises to 34.4 billion won. That is more than 2.5 times last year’s defense revenue of 13.5 billion won and equivalent to about 58% of the company’s total revenue last year.

SEC has independently developed and commercialized LINAC-based nondestructive inspection systems in Korea. Using higher-energy X-rays than conventional industrial X-ray systems, the equipment can inspect internal defects in large, high-density structures such as rocket propulsion systems, warheads and artillery shells without damaging the products. SEC has commercialized the equipment since 2017 and built a track record of supplying the defense industry.

“We have demonstrated our LINAC technology and capabilities in supplying defense inspection equipment by securing successive orders from Hanwha Aerospace,” an SEC official said. “We will strengthen cooperation with existing customers and expand additional orders in domestic and overseas defense markets.”

Doosan Fuel Cell has won an additional 322.2 billion won order for phosphoric acid fuel cells (PAFCs) from US-based HyAxiom. The new order comes two weeks after a 501.4 billion won contract earlier this month.

Doosan Fuel Cell said on Sept. 15 that it signed a 322.2 billion won PAFC supply contract with HyAxiom, the US subsidiary of Doosan Corp. The two companies' contracts signed this month now total 823.6 billion won.

Doosan Fuel Cell will begin supplying the ordered products to North America through HyAxiom in stages from 2028. HyAxiom will handle engineering, commissioning and long-term service agreements (LTSAs).

Doosan Fuel Cell sees rising power demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers as driving increased fuel cell orders in the region. Fuel cells can serve as on-site power sources that generate electricity directly near data centers.

Doosan Fuel Cell also signed a 108.7 billion won contract in August to supply solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks to Germany's Reverion.

The company's overseas orders over the past month totaled about 930 billion won. Its cumulative orders this year, including domestic contracts, reached about 1.11 trillion won.

Korea Zinc will showcase a critical minerals value chain linking its renewable energy, resource recycling and smelting businesses in Korea, the US and Australia.

Korea Zinc said on Sept. 15 that it will participate in the 2026 World Climate Industry EXPO (WCE), to be held at BEXCO in Busan from Sept. 16 to 18. It will mark the company’s fourth consecutive year at the event.

The company will present a business structure that connects its renewable energy and green hydrogen operations in Australia, resource recycling business in the US and smelting operations in Korea with critical mineral production. It will also display key critical minerals including antimony, indium, bismuth, tellurium, germanium and gallium.

“We will strengthen our business foundation for green metal production based on our competitiveness in critical mineral supply chains,” a Korea Zinc official said.

Hyosung Heavy Industries has won orders worth 386.5 billion won from two US Big Tech companies for extra-high-voltage transformers.

Hyosung Heavy Industries said in a regulatory filing on Sept. 15 that it signed contracts with two US Big Tech companies to supply extra-high-voltage transformers. The contracts are worth 220 billion won and 166.5 billion won, respectively.

Hyosung Heavy Industries will supply the transformers for new artificial intelligence (AI) data centers being built in the southern and northern US.

The 220 billion won contract covers 765-kilovolt (kV) transformers, while the 166.5 billion won contract is for 345kV extra-high-voltage transformers.

Hyosung Heavy Industries operates an extra-high-voltage transformer plant in Memphis, Tennessee, and is currently expanding the facility. In July, it established a joint venture with North American power infrastructure company Quanta to produce extra-high-voltage circuit breakers.

Hyosung Heavy Industries’ new orders totaled about 9.3 trillion won from January through August this year, surpassing its full-year orders last year. The company raised its annual order target to 12 trillion won from 8.4 trillion won.

Taihan Cable & Solution is expanding its production and installation capabilities for high-voltage direct current (HVDC) submarine cables.

Taihan said on Sept. 15 that it will showcase power infrastructure technologies including submarine cables, HVDC systems and busducts at the 2026 World Climate Industry EXPO, to be held at BEXCO in Busan from Sept. 16 to 18.

Taihan currently operates its first submarine cable plant and is building a second plant scheduled to begin operations in 2027.

The second plant is being designed to produce 640-kilovolt (kV) HVDC and 400kV high-voltage alternating current (HVAC) submarine cables.

For submarine cable installation, Taihan will use the 11,000-ton cable-laying vessels (CLVs) Skandi Connector and Palos. Skandi Connector can handle inter-array and export cable installation for offshore wind farms, long-distance grid connections and HVDC submarine cable installation.

Taihan will also display 525kV HVDC submarine cables and dynamic submarine cables for floating offshore wind farms. In its busduct business, where it tripled factory capacity last year, the company will showcase epoxy-insulated and PET-insulated products.

“We will strengthen our technological competitiveness in submarine cables, HVDC and busducts to meet demand from Korea’s power supply chain and the global power infrastructure market,” a Taihan official said.

LS ELECTRIC will jointly develop grid-forming technology with Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) to maintain stable voltage and frequency in distribution grids as renewable energy deployment expands.

LS ELECTRIC said on Sept. 15 that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with KEPCO on Sept. 14 at LS Tower in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, for cooperation on distribution-level power electronics technology.

The companies will jointly research grid-forming technology for distribution grid support, smart transformers and grid-connected microgrid technology equipped with black-start capabilities. They also plan to pursue joint commercialization in global markets following demonstrations in Korea.

Grid-forming is a technology that allows inverter-based distributed energy resources, including solar, wind and energy storage systems (ESS), to establish grid voltage and frequency on their own, improving grid stability. Conventional grid-following systems operate by following voltage and frequency established by the power grid.

Hyundai Motor Group will work with LG Energy Solution, Wonik PNE and others to test technology that reuses spent electric vehicle batteries in energy storage systems (ESS). The project will connect an ESS with an EV fast-charging station to assess charging infrastructure efficiency and the potential for reusing spent batteries.

Hyundai Motor and Kia said they held an event on Sept. 10 with LG Energy Solution, Hyundai Engineering and Wonik PNE at Wonik PNE’s Dongtan site in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, to launch a demonstration project for a Used Battery Energy Storage System (UBESS) based on spent EV batteries.

The project will use battery packs previously deployed in Hyundai Motor Group vehicles built on its Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). It is Korea’s first ESS demonstration using spent E-GMP batteries. The system has a capacity of 200 kilowatt-hours (kWh) and will operate in conjunction with an EV fast charger.

The ESS will store electricity during periods when power rates are lower and use the stored electricity for EV fast charging when rates are higher. The participating companies will test charge and discharge control algorithms, system safety and reliability, battery performance and charging service quality.

LG Energy Solution will build the ESS using spent battery packs provided by Hyundai Motor and Kia and will be responsible for battery diagnostics and performance and safety validation.

Wonik PNE will handle facility operation and technical validation based on its EV charger manufacturing and charging infrastructure expertise.

Hyundai Engineering will assess the project’s economic viability in a real-world business environment and its potential integration with EV charging infrastructure businesses.

Hyundai Motor and Kia plan to use the demonstration results to establish a system for reusing spent batteries and evaluate ESS business models.

Samsung Electronics is expanding professional installation and service training for heat pumps as it steps up efforts to target Korea's electric heating and cooling market.

Samsung Electronics said on Sept. 10 that it opened a dedicated EHS heat pump training center at its CS Academy in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. The company provides business-to-business (B2B) partners and installation engineers with training covering water piping construction, product installation, commissioning and service inspections.

The EHS heat pump is a system that uses air-source heat and electricity to provide cooling, heating and hot water. Samsung Electronics installed water tanks, hot-water distributors, water piping equipment and fan coil units (FCUs) at the training center to create an environment similar to actual installation sites. It also provides commissioning training using an artificial intelligence (AI)-based appliance diagnostic program.

The company will also begin domestic production. Samsung Electronics has established a production line for EHS heat pump boilers at its Gwangju plant in Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, and plans to begin mass production at the end of this month.

Samsung Electronics installed an EHS heat pump boiler at a detached house in Jeju in June and is testing its "EHS All-in-One" system, which provides cooling, heating and hot water through a single system. The company is also testing its suitability for apartment buildings at Samsung C&T's Residential Performance Research Institute in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

"We will respond to the growing electrification of heating by expanding professional training and service infrastructure following the establishment of our domestic production base," said Lim Sung-taek, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics' Digital Appliances (DA) Business.

HD Hyundai is expanding its supplier support program beyond first-tier partners to second- and third-tier suppliers, covering about 7,500 companies working with its shipbuilding, power equipment and construction machinery affiliates.

HD Hyundai said on Sept. 10 that it signed a joint agreement for mutual growth with first-, second- and third-tier suppliers at HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Ulsan shipyard. Five affiliates — HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, HD Hyundai Samho, HD Hyundai Marine Solution, HD Hyundai Electric and HD Construction Equipment — are participating.

The five affiliates will pay suppliers in cash and cash-equivalent instruments. They will also operate financial support programs to help stabilize suppliers’ operations and provide training and equipment to improve productivity and safety.

The companies will also provide technology escrow programs to protect suppliers’ technology assets and support efforts to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities. First- and second-tier suppliers will improve payment terms for second- and third-tier suppliers, respectively, and expand the use of mutual-growth payment systems.

“Suppliers are our partners for sustainable growth,” an HD Hyundai official said. “We will continue cooperation and support for mutual growth.”

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has selected Korean battery startup UBATT as the battery supplier for the KF-21, filling a supply-chain gap created by Israeli company SolarEdge's withdrawal from its battery business in Korea.

KAI recently selected UBATT to supply batteries for 80 KF-21s planned after the initial production run of 40 aircraft, as well as for export models, according to industry sources on Sept. 10. UBATT is a startup specializing in batteries for aerospace and defense applications.

Development of the KF-21 began in 2015 and was completed this year. The battery supplier was finalized relatively late because SolarEdge, the previous supplier, exited the battery business. SolarEdge entered the defense battery market after acquiring Korean battery maker Kokam in 2018, taking over its military battery technology and production infrastructure and supplying batteries for the KF-21.

The issue arose when SolarEdge decided in late 2024 to withdraw from its Korean operations. The company agreed to supply batteries only for its existing contracted volume, requiring KAI to find another supplier for subsequent production.

KAI began searching for a replacement last year. UBATT competed with LiBEST, Grinergy, RootJade, Enertech International and Top Material, according to industry sources. Some companies, including LiBEST, had been considered strong candidates after participating in aerospace battery development, but UBATT was ultimately selected. UBATT will manufacture and supply the battery cells, while ITScience will assemble them into packs and deliver them to KAI.

UBATT's core technology is its proprietary Thick Electrode Platform (TEP). Thicker electrodes can store more energy but may reduce power output and performance. UBATT's technology is designed to mitigate those limitations by maintaining electrode uniformity while increasing thickness. The company is developing high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries and lithium metal batteries (LMBs). It has its own production facilities and can handle battery cell design and manufacturing in-house.

Before the KF-21 battery project, UBATT jointly developed batteries with KAI for unmanned aircraft used in Manned-Unmanned Teaming (MUM-T) systems. It has also developed drone batteries with Poongsan and the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).

UBATT was selected for the Defense Acquisition Program Administration's Defense Innovation Company 100 program in 2024 in recognition of its technology. It won the startup category at the InterBattery 2025 Awards last year and has attracted investments from Hyundai Motor, Korea Development Bank and POSCO Technology Investment.

The KF-21 is a domestically developed 4.5-generation fighter aircraft led by KAI over about a decade since 2015. System development was completed this year, and the first production aircraft rolled out in March. The aircraft is scheduled to be delivered to the Republic of Korea Air Force this month.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration plans to deliver 40 KF-21s to the Air Force by 2028 and add another 80 by 2032, bringing the fleet to 120 aircraft. KAI has already secured production contracts for the 40 aircraft scheduled for delivery through 2028.

About 65% of the components used in the KF-21, including the battery, are domestically produced. That is a higher localization rate than previous fighter aircraft produced under license in Korea. The domestically developed T-50 supersonic advanced trainer has a localization rate of about 59%. KAI plans to raise the KF-21's component localization rate to more than 80%.

"We cannot confirm any contract with KAI or whether we will supply batteries for the KF-21," a UBATT official said.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will invest more than 1 trillion won in land-based power generation engines and small modular reactors (SMRs) to meet growing electricity demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.

The company said in a regulatory filing on Sept. 10 that it will invest a total of 1.0722 trillion won to build a new power generation engine production base and a dedicated plant for SMR main components.

HD Hyundai Heavy Industries will invest 833.6 billion won in power generation engines. It will build a HiMSEN engine production base with annual capacity of 3 gigawatts (GW) in Onsan, Ulju County, Ulsan. The facility, covering about 215,000 square meters, will include plants for engine assembly and testing, crankshaft machining and engine block casting. Construction is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of next year, with operations starting in May 2028.

HD Hyundai plans to produce land-based power generation engines at the new plant and HD Hyundai Engine in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, while the existing Ulsan plant will focus on marine engines. Total HiMSEN engine production capacity is expected to increase from 3 GW annually to 7.2 GW by 2030.

The company will also invest 238.6 billion won in SMRs. It plans to build a dedicated plant for SMR main components at its Ulsan shipyard, with completion scheduled for the first half of 2029. HD Hyundai is also working with TerraPower to commercialize the Natrium next-generation SMR.

“We will secure core competitiveness in power generation engines and SMRs to respond to rapidly growing electricity demand and target the global AI infrastructure market,” an HD Hyundai Heavy Industries official said.

Hyundai Mobis is expanding its research and development (R&D) beyond automotive components into robotics. The company plans to apply its core technologies in electrification and software-defined vehicles (SDVs) to robotics and develop competitive products into items for global customers.

Hyundai Mobis said it is holding its 2026 R&D Tech Day at its technology research center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, through Sept. 18. The company is showcasing about 60 next-generation technologies in areas including electrification, electronics, chassis and safety, and infotainment. It is also displaying two types of actuators for robotics.

Hyundai Mobis selected 10 products with strong technological competitiveness as its “Hero” technologies. Its next-generation hybrid battery system, one of the key products, can accommodate pouch, prismatic and cylindrical battery cells. It also supports both liquid- and air-cooling systems.

The company also unveiled an integrated controller combining autonomous driving and advanced parking functions. By integrating long- and short-range sensors into a single controller, the system improves convenience and safety during low-speed driving and parking. Hyundai Mobis has also developed an airbag designed to protect passengers from rear impacts in purpose-built vehicles (PBVs) where the first- and second-row seats face each other.

Other technologies include a suspension system that enables U-turns within the width of two lanes, a four-wheel independent steering system and fire-resistant materials that prevent battery thermal propagation. Hyundai Mobis is also displaying infotainment technologies including its CES Innovation Award-winning holographic windshield display.

During the event, Hyundai Mobis will present the technologies to customers from North America and Asia and discuss potential orders and technology cooperation.