POSCO FutureM and Sila Nanotechnologies Partner on Silicon Anode Battery Technology
POSCO FutureM and U.S. silicon anode developer Sila Nanotechnologies agreed to collaborate on advanced battery materials, signing a memorandum of understanding at InterBattery 2026 in Seoul’s COEX convention center on June 11. The deal underscores joint efforts to push next‑generation battery tech beyond traditional graphite anodes.
Sila, headquartered in California, specializes in silicon anode technology intended to increase electric-vehicle range and shorten charging times. The company operates a silicon anode production facility in Moses Lake, Washington, and works with major automakers and battery manufacturers around the world.
POSCO FutureM is the battery materials arm of POSCO, the South Korean steel giant long expanding into energy storage materials. The MOU envisions combining POSCO FutureM’s internal anode and cathode capabilities with Sila’s silicon anode technology to advance advanced battery materials development.
A key technical focus is silicon anodes, which are claimed to offer up to about ten times the energy density of conventional graphite‑based anodes. The agreement also targets mitigating the swelling and structural changes that occur during charge-discharge cycles, using carbon nano materials to suppress volume expansion and thereby extend battery life. The partners plan to explore how POSCO’s carbon materials expertise could improve the cost competitiveness of silicon anodes.
Hong Young-jun, head of the research laboratory at POSCO FutureM, said the collaboration would merge each company’s leading capabilities to accelerate technology development and, beyond that, strengthen supply chains. Gleb Yushin, Sila’s founder and chief technology officer, attended the signing and is a proponent of accelerating materials innovation through industry partnerships.
For U.S. readers, the agreement highlights how Korea‑based battery materials firms are linking with U.S. silicon‑anode technology to diversify the global EV supply chain. A produced‑in‑the‑United States angle already exists through Sila’s Moses Lake facility, and the collaboration could influence the availability, performance, and potentially the cost of next‑generation batteries used in American electric vehicles and energy storage systems.
InterBattery 2026 has become a focal point for industry players to showcase R&D and partnership prospects. The POSCO FutureM–Sila signing, along with ongoing displays of partner research on solid‑state battery technologies at the Korean show, illustrates the global push to accelerate practical, scalable battery materials ahead of anticipated demand from U.S. and other markets.