“Batteries have now gone beyond electric vehicles to become the core growth engine leading the future of energy storage systems (ESS), robots, and urban air mobility (UAM).”

Joo Yong-rak, Head of Research Center (Vice President) at Samsung SDI, made this remark on the 11th at “InterBattery 2026,” the country’s largest battery exhibition, held at COEX in Gangnam District, Seoul. As the prolonged slowdown (chasm) in electric vehicle demand continues, he outlined one by one the new revenue sources that battery companies are pioneering. Kim Je-young, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of LG Energy Solution, also stressed, “Based on more than 30 years of accumulated research and development capabilities, vast data, and industry-leading patent assets, the company will expand battery growth drivers across various industries such as ESS and robots.”

At InterBattery, which opened that day, ESS battery models occupied the central spaces of the exhibition booths of Korea’s three major battery companies—LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On. Unlike previous years, exhibits related to electric vehicles were significantly reduced. Spaces once filled by large electric trucks or sports cars were this year taken over by new products equipped with each company’s batteries, including ESS, data centers, and robots.

LG Energy Solution placed its power grid ESS solution “JF2 DC Link 5.0” at the forefront. It is the first product among domestic battery manufacturers to be equipped with a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) ESS battery, enhancing fire safety. A physical prototype of a solid-state battery, dubbed the “dream battery” for its overwhelming energy density and performance, was also unveiled here for the first time. LG Energy Solution also showcased for the first time in Korea its LFP-based emergency power solution for AI data centers, the “Battery Backup Unit (BBU).”

Samsung SDI placed “AI batteries” at the forefront of this exhibition instead of electric vehicle batteries. The company unveiled a pouch-type solid-state battery under development exclusively for physical AI applications such as robots. Mass production of this product is targeted for the second half (July–December) of next year. It also highlighted as a core technology an ultra-high-output battery that supplies power in emergencies such as blackouts at data centers. Samsung SDI additionally unveiled its ESS integrated product, the “Samsung Battery Box (SBB).”

SK On focused on advancing ESS technology as its core theme, exhibiting a pouch-type ESS battery whose energy density is improved by approximately 14–19% compared with existing LFP batteries. SK On also displayed Hyundai WIA’s autonomous mobile robot (AMR) equipped with its batteries. A high-performance Genesis electric vehicle, the GV60 Magma, fitted with SK On’s lithium-ion batteries, occupied one corner of the booth.

InterBattery is a battery industry exhibition supervised by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and hosted by the Korea Battery Industry Association, COEX, and others. Running for three days from the 11th, the exhibition drew participation from 667 battery-related companies from a total of 14 countries. This year’s participation scale is the largest ever. Despite recent concerns over a slowdown in the secondary battery industry, more than 52,000 visitors attended on the first day of the exhibition.

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