On May 18, LG Energy Solution announced that it hosted the '2026 Inventor and Application King Awards' at its headquarters in Yeouido Park One, recognizing 12 individuals for their outstanding research achievements.
The event was organized to reward talents who have filed innovative patents across various fields, including LMR (Lithium Manganese Rich) batteries, cylindrical 46-series batteries, and next-generation pack designs, which are expected to reshape the future battery market.
This year's gold award for Inventor of the Year went to Park Byeong-cheon, who secured a key patent in the 'LMR Cell Chemistry' field. The LMR battery technology enhances price competitiveness by increasing the manganese content while achieving high energy density. Park focused on the technical potential of combining LMR cathodes with silicon anodes, establishing patent barriers before the industry began development. LG Energy Solution praised this achievement for securing strong proprietary technology that competitors would find difficult to bypass.
Other awardees included: △ Eun-sang, Jeong In-hyeok for the core structure of the CAS (Cell Array Structure) applied to the 46-series cells (silver award) △ Lee Jae-hwan for tracking technology for electrode process quality management (silver award) △ Lee Jeong-min for additives to improve the high-temperature durability of LMR batteries (bronze award) △ Jo Min-ki for the insulation structure of cylindrical 46-series batteries (bronze award) △ Choi Soon-joo for non-destructive cell lifespan status verification technology through charge and discharge signals (bronze award).
The gold award for Application King was awarded to Jang Hyuk-kyun, who filed numerous key patents in dual cooling for battery packs and upper and lower venting. Jang was recognized for his contributions to developing pack design technologies that enhance battery safety, including thermal transfer delay and gas-spark control structures.
Additionally, Kim Gwang-mo (silver award), Lee Hyun-hee (silver award), Kim Dae-cheon (bronze award), Ko Gil-nam (bronze award), and Lee Soo-ho (bronze award) were also recognized as Application Kings.
Kim Dong-myung, CEO of LG Energy Solution, stated, "In the battery industry, patents are a powerful weapon for maintaining a global competitive edge and a source of customer value. We will fully support our members' creative challenges in R&D to ensure we maintain overwhelming technological leadership."
Meanwhile, LG Energy Solution appointed 17 new research and technical experts in April to enhance the development of next-generation products and strengthen technological competitiveness. The company has operated a research and technical expert system annually since 2008, with the average age of new appointees being 44, significantly increasing the proportion of young researchers while also ensuring diversity by including global and female talents.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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