Samsung SDI
The global population has shown explosive growth since the mid-1900s and resources are being depleted at a rapid pace. The world faces numerous challenges, which include overcoming poverty and achieving a balance between economic development and environmental protection. To address these challenges and promote sustainable growth, the global community needs to curb resource consumption via green technology and enhance quality of life and productivity through the efficient use of energy. The energy sector is undergoing a paradigm shift as fossil fuels, which powered economic advances over the past century, give way to ecofriendly alternatives. In other words, the world is seeing the advent of the so-called “green economy.”
Samsung SDI unveiled its vision of becoming an environ-ment friendly and clean energy company in May 2009, which marked the company’s 39th anniversary. We revealed our future business scope and our commitment to meeting social responsibility and pursuing sustainable growth. The year 2010 will be an important turning point in our transformation into an environment friendly and clean energy company. In 2009, we commanded the second highest share(21%) of the global rechargeable battery market. We ranked second in PDP (market share of 32%) and first in CRT(31%). We aim to expand our market share in rechargeable batteries in 2010 based on our edge in product quality and technology. We expect rechargeable batteries to account for 50% of our total annual sales, as opposed to 41% in 2009. We will concentrate our efforts on small-sized rechargeable batteries, high-capacity storage applications, solar cells and fuel cells to deliver ecofriendly energy products as a global environment friendly and clean energy company.
In line with the shift in the business portfolio towards energy, Samsung SDI boosted investment in the rechargeable battery and next-generation energy business in 2009. R&D and facility investment during the year totaled KRW 496.4billion. In 2010, we will pursue strategic investments to grow into an environment friendly and clean energy company. We will develop future growth engines by increasing outlays on R&D into rechargeable battery and next-generation energy products, facility expansion for rechargeable battery, production lines for battery materials, and ESS(Energy Storage System). We also plan to invest in infrastructure, which includes the adoption of global ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning). At the same time, we will continue to pursue communication with stakeholders to carve out a future as a sustainable company.
As of 2009, Samsung SDI had filed roughly 36,000 patent applications around the world and registered about 18,000 patents. In 2009, we reinforced our patent activities related to energy technology, including rechargeable batteries for various applications, fuel cells and solar cells, in line with our position as an energy company. We will maintain our focus on energy in 2010 with more thorough verification of new inventions to build a portfolio of global patents for competitive and commercially viable technologies. To secure an edge in the overseas markets, we will implement patent strategies according to region and work together with local patent experts to boost patent applications and strengthen our ability to deal with patent disputes.
Global leader in rechargeable battery patents
In September 2009, Samsung SDI ranked 1st in the world in the rechargeable battery category and 4th in the world in overall green energy in the Green Energy Technology Index (GETI)1) survey. The GETI was jointly developed by ED Research, a patent consulting firm, and the Korean publication, Electronic Times. Samsung SDI outpaced competitors based on the number and quality of US patents acquired concerning rechargeable batteries. Patents with ratings of “A+”, “A” and “A-” accounted for 39% of the total patents held. Samsung SDI has also made notable strides in fuel cells and solar cells. Going forward, we plan to pursue a wider range of R&D initiatives related to green energy.
| SDI | Rival "A" | Rival "B" | Rival "C" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| GETI score | 23.6 | 17.7 | 16.6 | 15.3 |
| Overall No. of patents | 147 | 131 | 122 | 122 |
| A+, A, A- No. of patents(%) | 58 (39%) | 31 (24%) | 29 (24%) | 25 (20%) |
1) GETI : Green Energy Technology Index
The GETI was jointly developed by ED Research, a patent consulting firm, and the Korean publication, Electronic Times. It assesses the quantity and quality of patents registered in the US in five major energy areas(rechargeable battery, fuel cell, light-emitting diode(LED), solar energy, carbon capture and storage).
