Toronto’s NEO Battery Materials has signed a defence technology partnership agreement with the Republic of Korea.
NEO is a Canadian battery technology company focused on developing and producing silicon-enhanced lithium-ion batteries in drones, robotics, and energy storage systems via a patented process
The agreement will see the Canadian cleantech firm support the Korea Army’s Capital Mechanized Infantry Division.
Korea’s Capital Mechanized Infantry Division is an elite armoured combat unit tasked with defending the capital and conducting counter-offensive missions against North Korean threats.
Through the partnership, NEO and the Infantry Division will jointly develop high-energy, high-power battery technologies for military drones and unmanned systems, according to a statement.
“Innovation of South Korea’s defense technology is highly dependent on the depth of collaboration between military and domestic industry,” believes Major General Seong-gu Kim, Commander of the Capital Mechanized Infantry Division.
The Army intends to deploy NEO’s high-performance batteries directly to the Division’s drone platforms for operator training and field use.
With “autonomous solutions” now a standard part of warfare, high-performance, batteries “are no longer solely a procurement consideration but a national security priority,” according to the major general.
“The Capital Mechanized Infantry Division is pleased to initiate work with NEO Battery to advance this priority through close operational integration,” the commander stated.
NEO expects to use this field validation to serve as a replicable commercial deployment model for broader ROK Army and allied defence forces.
“With active defense collaboration spanning institutional, infantry, and mechanized units, NEO is building a diversified operational presence across multiple unit types and commands,” says Spencer Huh, chief executive officer of NEO. “These organizations’ procurement decisions will carry broader deployment scale and volume implications for NEO.”
It’s not NEO’s first foray into South Korea.
Last year, NEO secured eight acres of surplus lands near Windsor Airport in Ontario to establish Canada’s first advanced silicon anode manufacturing facility. The firm later revealed a three-acre site in South Korea and a joint development agreement with a local industrial robotics company that specializes in autonomous mobile robotics.
Trading on the TSXV as NBM, NEO Battery Materials was established in 2006 as Pan Andean Minerals before rebranding in 2021.