LG Energy honors top researchers, patents that power up battery innovation

LG Energy Solution presented the 2026 Top Inventor and Patent Excellent Awards to 12 employees who have achieved top research results on May 18, as the company pushes to set a new standard in the battery market based on differentiated technology leadership and advanced production capabilities.

The awards honor top inventors and excellent patent cases, as judged by internal and external experts and name recipients on Invention Day, to encourage a creative research and development (R&D) environment and secure core technology to preoccupy the future market.

This year’s gold award went to Park Byung-cheon, who oversees cathode material technology, for securing a core patent in lithium manganese-rich (LMR) cell chemistry. Park focused on the technical potential of a combination of LMR cathode and silicon anode ahead of industry-wide development. The technology is expected to be a key platform in LMR battery commercialization.

The LMR battery is next-generation technology that can secure price competitiveness and high energy density by increasing the gravity of manganese. LG Energy is spurring commercialization with a mass production project with General Motors for EV trucks and SUVs.

The silver award went to Jung In-hyeok for applying a cell array structure to 46-series cylindrical batteries and Lee Jae-hwan for developing quality tracking technology for the electrode process.

The bronze award went to Jo Min-ki for insulation for 46-series batteries and Choi Soon-ju for developing a nondestructive technology that checks cell health based on charge and discharge signals.

The gold award for patent excellence went to Jang Hyuk-gyun who applied for various patents such as battery pack dual-cooling and top and bottom venting for enhanced safety to delay thermal propagation and has gas and spark control structures.

As of April, LG Energy has secured a total of 58,000 patent applications and 99,000 patent registrations. The company aims to lead the global battery industry by strengthening competitiveness in R&D across diverse sectors.

The company is securing technology with industry-academia collaboration. In November of last year, LG Energy secured a strategic partnership for aerospace battery R&D with South8 Technologies, a U.S. startup that developed liquefied gas electrolytes for lithium batteries.

Last September, Frontier Research Laboratory, a joint research venture between LG Energy and KAIST, published a paper about lithium-metal batteries in Nature. The technology can carry vehicles over 800 kilometers (497 miles) on a single charge and has a 300,000-kilometer lifespan. Charging can also be completed in 12 minutes.

In October of last year, LG Energy announced joint research development with Postech and Sungkyunkwan University in core technology that can improve low-temperature performance and thermostability in lithium-ion batteries.

BY LEE DAHYUN [lee.dahyun3@joongang.co.kr]