Contest open across all battery fields, from materials to AI

10th edition expands themes; universities and research institutes eligible

Over 50 projects funded since 2017, with top picks advancing to joint research

LG Energy Solution is hosting the Battery Innovation Contest 2026, a global research competition open to universities and research institutes. [Provided by LG Energy Solution]
LG Energy Solution is hosting the Battery Innovation Contest 2026, a global research competition open to universities and research institutes. [Provided by LG Energy Solution]

LG Energy Solution announced Thursday that it is launching the Battery Innovation Contest 2026, a global research competition open to universities and research institutes.

The Battery Innovation Contest, known as BIC, is LG Energy Solution's global research grant program that selects and funds research projects from universities and research institutes. LG Energy Solution researchers provide ongoing feedback and participate directly in the research to help translate academic ideas into commercial applications.

All domestic and international universities and research institutes are eligible to apply. Applications for this year's contest are open through Dec. 6 via BRIDGE, BIC's dedicated communication platform. LG Energy Solution will select recipients based on the technological maturity and commercialization potential of proposed research.

Launched in 2017, BIC marks its 10th anniversary this year with the largest expansion of research themes in the program's history. Designated topics include analytical technologies for diagnosing cell conditions and investigations into mechanisms that improve safety, spanning the full spectrum of battery technology — from materials and cells to battery management systems and AI.

LG Energy Solution said its key business unit R&D organizations directly chose the topics on which they hope to collaborate, with the aim of producing results applicable to real-world operations and accelerating growth in the battery industry.

More than 50 research projects have received funding through BIC since 2017. Among these, projects whose findings have been validated are expanded into FRL — joint research centers operated by LG Energy Solution together with domestic and international universities and research institutes. Once elevated to FRL status, projects receive additional funding and dedicated research personnel for deeper investigation.

Last year's BIC yielded a patent application related to a physics-based model for improving BMS computational speed. In 2019, research conducted through an FRL on long-life all-solid-state batteries operable at room temperature was published in the journal Science.

LG Energy Solution plans to continue supporting industry-academia communication and project management through BRIDGE this year. BRIDGE is a two-way platform shared by academic and industry participants, designed to streamline communication during the R&D process and simplify project history management. The company said the system protects technology developed through collaborative projects while reducing offline administrative work.

"We expect that by combining the strengths of industry and academia, we can drive innovation in the battery sector," said Kim Je-young, LG Energy Solution's executive vice president and chief technology officer. "LG Energy Solution will accelerate its growth on the foundation of differentiated technological competitiveness in the battery market."

Meanwhile, LG Energy Solution is strengthening its global partnerships to expand its presence in the ESS market. On Tuesday, the company signed a non-binding MOU with global renewable energy firm Energix at its Yeouido headquarters in Seoul to cooperate on energy storage system projects in Europe and North America.

Under the agreement, LG Energy Solution and Energix will work toward supplying a combined total of 2 GWh within 24 months — approximately 1.5 GWh for Europe and approximately 0.5 GWh for North America.


eyre@heraldcorp.com