Samsung SDI plans to establish South Korea’s first undergraduate battery program at Sungkyunkwan University, promising jobs to graduates as the company races to counter growing competition from Chinese manufacturers.
The battery maker will accept 30 students annually starting in 2026 for the four-year program at the prestigious Seoul institution. Students will study battery materials and manufacturing processes, with guaranteed employment at Samsung SDI after graduation. The company aims to maintain this intake for 10 years.
The initiative comes as Korean battery makers face mounting pressure from Chinese rivals. The combined market share of South Korea’s three major players – LG Energy Solution, Samsung SDI, and SK On – is expected to drop 3.7 percentage points to 20.1% in 2024, according to SNE Research. Meanwhile, Chinese giant CATL is projected to expand its share to 36.8%.
Samsung SDI is building on its existing partnerships with six Korean universities, where it offers battery-focused courses primarily for graduate students. The company plans to provide scholarships to 700 students over a decade, incorporating hands-on experience at manufacturing sites and company laboratories.
The move mirrors Samsung’s successful semiconductor program at Sungkyunkwan, launched in 2006, which feeds about 60 graduates annually into its workforce. Korean battery manufacturers are scrambling to secure talent, with job openings in the sector reaching 5,200 in 2023, a 150% increase from 2017, according to government data.
