South Korea's leading battery makers showcased next-generation solid-state battery technologies at InterBattery 2026 as the industry pivots to new technologies amid slowing overall market growth. Major battery manufacturers are targeting mass production of solid-state batteries between 2027 and 2029, making product maturity and performance demonstrations the key highlights of this year's exhibition.
Solid-state batteries replace liquid electrolytes with solid ones, offering advantages such as lower fire risk and higher energy density. The technology is widely viewed as critical to future competitiveness in industries including electric vehicles and robotics.
Credit: Daniel Chiang
Samsung SDI powers up for EVs and robotics
Samsung SDI displayed a prismatic solid-state battery designed for electric vehicles, and unveiled for the first time a pouch-type solid-state battery sample intended for physical AI applications such as humanoid robots. Both products target mass production in the second half of 2027.
Sources at the exhibition noted that robots have limited space for battery installation while requiring high energy density and long operating times. These applications must also handle short bursts of high power during movement while meeting strict safety requirements. Samsung SDI developed the pouch-type solid-state battery to address these needs and broaden its product portfolio across more diverse applications.
Yonglak Joo, executive vice president and head of the R&D Center at Samsung SDI, said the company continues to lead in the solid-state battery field. A key feature of its technology is an anode-free structure based on silver-carbon materials, and the company has filed more than 11,000 patents in this area. After establishing a pilot line in 2023, Samsung SDI has continued product verification and expects the process to be completed in 2026, with mass production targeted for 2027.
The company's solid-state technology can also be extended to lithium-sulfur batteries by replacing the cathode material with lithium sulfide (Li₂S), which offers stronger cost competitiveness and safety. Combined with carbon and inorganic composite materials, the approach could deliver higher capacity, improved safety, and lower costs — serving as a lightweight battery solution beyond solid-state batteries for applications such as urban air mobility (UAM).
Credit: Daniel Chiang
SK On presses for efficiency and energy density
SK On completed a pilot production line for solid-state batteries in September 2025 and has highlighted the introduction of a "warm isostatic pressing-free" (WIP-Free) process in South Korea to improve production efficiency. The company also said it has reduced interfacial resistance through process optimization, improving manufacturing yields, and has developed polymer and oxide composite battery samples designed to enhance fire safety.
A SK On representative said achieving strong interfacial bonding between particles in solid-state batteries is difficult, making it challenging to form smooth lithium-ion transport pathways and requiring strong compression. Many manufacturers rely on WIP processes involving high temperature and high pressure, but SK On has pursued alternative processes to improve production efficiency.
To achieve higher energy density, silicon-based materials are commonly used, but silicon expansion remains a challenge. SK On has adopted composite material designs to suppress this expansion. The company plans to continue development of sulfide-based solid-state battery samples in 2026, establish a pilot line in 2027, and begin mass production in 2029, targeting batteries with an energy density of around 1,000 Wh/L.
LG Energy Solution goes the extra mile with lithium-metal
LG Energy Solution (LGES) has completed solid-state battery samples exceeding 10Ah capacity at its Magok R&D campus in Seoul and has built a pilot line in Ochang, North Chungcheong Province. The company plans to integrate the cells into modules and conduct module testing in 2026, with mass production also scheduled for 2029.
LGES also displayed lithium-metal battery technology designed to replace graphite anodes, seen as a pathway to further increasing energy density in solid-state batteries.
An LGES representative said the company has accumulated extensive internal research experience in sulfide-based technologies, which are expected to provide advantages in safety and improved electrode loading capability. Higher loading means coating more active material on electrodes within a given area to increase energy density. That said, thicker electrodes can create challenges, making coating and homogenization technologies critical.
InterBattery 2026 reaches record scale
InterBattery 2026 brought together 667 companies from 14 countries across 2,382 exhibition booths, marking the largest edition of the event to date and reinforcing its role as a major global platform for the battery industry.
Sources said that for South Korea's battery sector to regain momentum, breakthrough technologies capable of reshaping the market will be necessary. Products and equipment related to solid-state batteries nearing commercialization were among the most notable highlights of this year's exhibition.
Article translated by Sherri Wang and edited by Jerry Chen
