By Ian Werther in News — 14 Mar 2026

SK On Expands Beyond EV Batteries to Storage and Robotics at InterBattery 2026

South Korea’s SK On wrapped up its participation in InterBattery 2026, the country’s largest battery industry exhibition, held at the Coex convention center in Gangnam, Seoul. The event ran from the 11th to the 13th, under the theme Unlock the Next Energy.

The SK On booth drew visitors from domestic and international battery and automaker sectors, as well as diplomats, university students, and general attendees, reflecting strong global interest in next‑generation energy technologies.

At the show, SK On highlighted a portfolio that extends beyond electric vehicles to energy storage systems and robotics, emphasizing a multi‑sector approach to its battery technology. The company framed its lineup as a pathway to “the next energy era,” with a focus on next‑gen cell and pack tech, safety innovations, and cross‑industry applications.

Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The booth was organized into three zones—Leading Tech, Future Tech, and Core Tech—and featured interactive content that let visitors glimpse battery manufacturing and research and development processes firsthand.

SK On showcased its batteries in real‑world applications, including a Genesis GV60 equipped with SK On NCM batteries and an autonomously guided logistics robot from Hyundai WIA. The demonstrations underscored the versatility of SK On cells in both consumer EVs and autonomous industrial robotics.

A key technology highlighted was Cell to Pack (CTP), a packaging approach that integrates cells directly into the pack without a separate module stage. SK On credited CTP with reducing component counts and manufacturing steps, thereby boosting energy density and competitiveness.

A graph from REN21's Renewables 2021 Global Status Report (GSR) showing the energy shares and targets from G20 countries. Only 5 out of the G20 countries had set a target for the share of renewable energy, and out of those only 3 were on track to reach their target. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

The company also drew attention to a polygonal “On‑Vent Cell,” which won an InterBattery 2026 award. Officials described the cell as offering enhanced safety and greater design flexibility for polygonal battery formats.

An SK On representative said the company used InterBattery to demonstrate how its battery portfolio now spans EVs, energy storage, and robotics, and that demand for related technologies remains strong at the event. The official added that SK On will pursue further growth by delivering cost‑competitive, safe products to broaden customer engagement.

For U.S. readers, the showcase signals how a major Asian battery supplier is expanding beyond vehicle batteries into grid-scale storage and automation. The move could influence supply chains, pricing, and technology standards as the United States intensifies incentives for electric vehicles, energy storage deployment, and industrial automation. It also highlights cross‑sector innovations—such as higher energy density and modular safety improvements—that could affect American OEMs, storage developers, and policy discussions on grid resilience and critical minerals.

Subscribe to Journal of Korea