Kolon joins hands with Hyundai Motor and Kia for future mobility materials

▷ Kolon Group signs a strategic partnership agreement with and Hyundai Motor and Kia for future mobility materials business ▷ This is the first case of Hyundai Motor and Kia investing in a composite materials company, with an investment in new shares issued by Kolon Spaceworks, a subsidiary of Kolon Corporation ▷ Plans to actively target the future mobility market by expanding technology exchanges in the future  Kolon Group, a leader in the materials industry, is joining forces with Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Motors to develop future mobility materials and technologies.  Being the first case of Hyundai Motor and Kia directly investing in a composite materials company for R&D technology cooperation, this is expected to be a win-win opportunity for both companies to secure a leading position in the global mobility market and the advanced composite materials market.  On the 3rd, Kolon and Hyundai & Kia signed a ‘Strategic Future Mobility Materials Business Partnership’ agreement at the Hyundai / Kia Technology Research Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, concerning strategic investment and technical cooperation with Kolon Spaceworks.  Kolon Spaceworks, a subsidiary of Kolon Corporation is a specialized company in advanced composite materials. Composite materials are ultra-lightweight new materials created by mixing carbon fiber and glass fiber with polymer materials, resulting in a material that is significantly lighter than steel but much stronger.  Through this agreement, Hyundai and Kia will invest in new shares issued by Kolon Spaceworks and plan to jointly develop mobility materials and technologies. Kolon Spaceworks plans to actively utilize Hyundai and Kia's investment and technical cooperation to focus on developing new parts, materials, and technologies that will lead the mobility industry.  The two companies have also set common goals to achieve these plans. As a first project, they plan to promote next-generation technologies that can be applied to electric and hydrogen vehicles to accelerate commercialization, such as improving the performance of hydrogen storage container materials and battery covers. In addition, Kolon Spaceworks plans to expand the application of its ultra-high heat-resistant and ultra-high durability materials technology for aerospace and defense to the mobile sector in the future.  Going further, the two companies plan to secure a virtuous cycle of growth for developing technologies that will lead the future mobility industry through expanded technological exchanges. In the mid- to long-term, they intend to jointly build capabilities for developing composite materials optimized for mobility.  The partnership is expected to go beyond simple investment and technology exchange, and become a key growth driver for both companies in the mobility sector. Kolon Spaceworks anticipates strengthening its composite material technology capabilities for application in completed vehicles, thereby securing solutions tailored for future mobility.  Lee Kyu-ho, Vice Chairman of Kolon Group, said, “We hope that Kolon's advanced materials technology and Hyundai Motor and Kia's smart mobility capabilities will combine to enhance the global competitiveness of the national industry.” Yang Hee-won, Head of R&D at Hyundai Motor and Kia, said, “With the paradigm shift in the automotive industry, there is a growing trend toward the expanded use of eco-friendly materials. Through our collaboration with Kolon Spaceworks, we expect to proactively develop various composite materials for vehicles and enhance our business competitiveness through technological innovation.” Kolon Spaceworks is a company with extensive experience and unrivaled technical capabilities in the field of composite materials, and possesses outstanding technical capabilities not only in structural materials but also in the energy sector. Kolon Spaceworks' flame-retardant UD Tape, developed with its own unique technology, is a high-temperature-resistant composite material that prevents thermal runaway in electric vehicle batteries, thereby improving safety. It was applied to the battery housing of Hyundai Motor's Casper electric vehicle as a world first. In addition, a hydrogen storage tank, one of the core components of hydrogen vehicles, has recently obtained R134 certification (high-pressure container product sales qualification) from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) for its safety and reliability, thanks to the application of a carbon fiber-based Towpreg and high-speed filament winding technology developed in-house. Kolon Spaceworks' Towpreg is planned to be continuously expanded and applied to various mobility fields as a material for hydrogen storage tanks.

2025. 06. 13

Kolon Spaceworks Sets its Sights on the Global Mobility Parts and Materials Market

▷ Acquired R134 certification from the European Commission for hydrogen tanks for self-developed mobility▷ Internalized entire value chain from intermediate material development to molding  Kolon Spaceworks, equipped with advanced materials technology for space and defense, is expanding its business into the field of mobility parts and materials to enhance its competitiveness and capture the global market.  On July 7, Kolon Spaceworks announced that its self-developed 54-liter hydrogen fuel tank (hereinafter, hydrogen tank) has obtained R134 certification from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE). The R134 certification is a sales qualification for high-pressure vessel products established by the ECE, and with the completion of this certification, Kolon Spaceworks has effectively entered the market for hydrogen tanks used in various hydrogen mobility systems such as hydrogen electric vehicles. R134 certification is granted to hydrogen storage systems that pass rigorous evaluations to verify their safety, including the tank's airtightness in the event of a collision, explosion protection, and thermal stability. To celebrate this milestone, the company held an R134 certification ceremony at the headquarters of Authorized Testing Inc. (ATI) in Los Angeles, California on the 6th (local time). ATI is a global testing organization. The certification ceremony was attended by Ahn Sang-hyun, CEO of Kolon Spaceworks, as well as representatives from TÜV SÜD, a leading German certification organization, and ATI, which conducted the main tests for this certification. In particular, the hydrogen tank developed by Kolon Spaceworks has demonstrated high technical capabilities as it has internalized the entire value chain of the manufacturing process from intermediate material development to molding. The 'plastic liner', the container that supports the inside of the existing hydrogen tank, which was made mostly in Japan, has now been replaced with a material developed by Kolon ENP, a subsidiary of Kolon Group. The composite intermediate material, which is responsible for the rigidity of the hydrogen tank, is also made of Towpreg, which was developed by Kolon Spaceworks. Towpreg is a material made by infiltrating epoxy resin into carbon fiber with outstanding strength. The molding process uses a ‘dry winding' process, which is easy to mass produce owing to its high levels of quality uniformity and productivity. Dry winding refers to the process of winding the plastic liner, the inner container of the hydrogen tank, with Towpreg at high speed, and is recognized as a superior method in terms of productivity and work efficiency compared to the existing ‘wet winding’ method. With this certification, Kolon Spaceworks plans to expand its business into the space and defense sectors as well as the mobility sector. Previously, Kolon Spaceworks successfully supplied pressurized tanks for launch vehicles of Innospace, a private space launch company. The company plans to apply this know-how to the mobility field to accelerate the expansion of its business portfolio. “This certification is the result of global recognition of the technology and product reliability of our mobility hydrogen storage solutions,” said Ahn Sang-hyun, CEO of Kolon Spaceworks. ”Leveraging this, we will expand our business portfolio in the overall mobility hydrogen storage sector.” Kolon Spaceworks was launched in July by Kolon Group, which has long experience and unrivaled technology in the field of composite materials. In line with its mission to provide solutions (works) for products applied in various spaces, the company provides integrated technology solutions from product design to manufacturing using advanced materials in a wide range of fields including aviation, mobility, defense and space. [Notes]United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UN ECE) R134 CertificationThis is a technical standard for high-pressure hydrogen tanks for vehicles destined for Europe, established by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, an economic cooperation organization of 56 member states in Europe. In addition to hydrogen tanks, the UN ECE also requires the automotive industry to meet other technical standards such as security and connectivity.  TÜV SÜDTÜV SÜD is a global technical services company headquartered in Germany that provides testing, certification, auditing and training services to ensure safety, quality and sustainability in a wide range of industries. TÜV SÜD was founded in 1866 and is a globally trusted provider of testing, certification, auditing and training services, and is trusted worldwide to help organizations comply with technical standards and manage risk. Authorized Testing Inc. (ATI)ATI is a global certification and testing organization headquartered in the United States that provides services to verify quality, safety, and reliability. It specializes in the certification of high-performance technology products such as composite materials and hydrogen fuel tanks, and provides verification to international standards based on state-of-the-art testing facilities and rigorous processes.

2025. 06. 13