October 5, 2021
Three major South Korean battery giants, LG Energy Solution (LGES), SK On, and Samsung SDI Co Ltd, announced that they are currently battling a shortage of research and engineering specialists, and that while there is growing demand from leading automakers, they lack technicians with the necessary training to advance needed devices such as solid-state batteries.
The South Korean battery giants in question have contributed in no small measure to the development of many of the world’s electric vehicles, and the shortage could lead to a possible slowdown in the production of zero-emission vehicles.
Industry sources say the skills shortage in South Korea is partly due to some employees moving abroad for better offers and pay.
Richard Kim, Principal Analyst at IHS Markit, said of the skills gap that the problem could persist for years. He explained, “The labor shortage in the battery industry has already been a global issue, and the reality is that there has been an imbalance of supply and demand of manpower as many companies start to expand their capacity.”
For more information, read the original story in Reuters.
