Samsung SDI's headquarters in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province / Courtesy of Samsung SDI

By Baek Byung-yeul

Samsung SDI is seeking to improve its global research and development (R&D) capabilities by establishing research facilities in the United States and Europe, the battery maker of Samsung Group said on Tuesday.

The company said it has established SDI R&D America (SDIRA) in the U.S. city of Boston as of Aug. 15. The facility is its first research center there. In July, the company opened an R&D facility, SDI R&D Europe (SDIRE), in Munich, Germany and it also plans to open another one in China, next year.

"The reason why Samsung SDI has established overseas R&D facilities is to increase its technological capabilities through R&D of new battery technologies specialized in each region," a spokesman of the company said.

Its U.S. facility is aiming to cooperate with universities and startups to innovate lithium-ion battery technology and develop new battery technology. Its SDIRE will carry out R&D tasks with outstanding universities and research institutes that excel at the development of battery-making processes and facilities.

Samsung SDI is focused on developing next-generation battery technology. In 2021, the company's R&D expenses were at 877.6 billion won ($670 million), which was the industry's largest amount.

"Establishing R&D facilities such as the SDIRA and SDIRE is to secure newly developed technologies and talented employees overseas," Choi Yoon-ho, CEO of the company, said in a statement. "Starting from the U.S. and Europe, we plan to continue to expand our regional R&D facilities."