South Korea\'s Ministry of Science and ICT said on Thursday it finalised a 2026 implementation plan for nano and materials research and development worth 275.4 billion won and will push ahead with projects in earnest. The plan covers the ongoing Nano and Materials Technology Development programme and three new initiatives, including future materials discovery support, advanced materials core technology growth support and training for data-converged new materials specialists. The three new projects will receive 7.05 billion won.

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science said it developed a materials technology aimed at accelerating commercialisation of all-solid-state batteries. The institute said its method coats solid electrolyte powder with a multifunctional compound, enabling a high-density, large-area solid electrolyte membrane while avoiding lithium loss during high-temperature processing. It said the approach eliminates the need for mother powder and reduces electrolyte production costs to one-tenth of existing levels.