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Earth Day- Earth Week- Earth Month 2023

April 24, 2023 Don Southerton Uncategorized Comments Off

Earth Day- Earth Week- Earth Month 2023
By Don Southerton

Reflecting on Earth Day, my ties to Green and Sustainability have reached back in time more than a few years. In fact, it parallels my work with Korea. In the mid-2000s, I was an advisor to developing and building the Incheon, South Korea Songdo International Business District. Under the leadership of Green visionary Stan Gale, the city is the global model for urban sustainability.

Envisioned as a Green, high-technology city of the future — at the time, it was one of the world and Korea’s most significant foreign real estate development projects.

Built on reclaimed land and with partners like Kohn Pederson Fox, Cisco, and United Technology, the forward-leaning project also showcased some of the first LEED-certified buildings in South Korea and Asia.

In conjunction with the Songdo IBD project and my work for Hyundai, around 2007 the Songdo team and I had the opportunity for a VIP visit to Hyundai Motor’s R&D. We even got to fuel their 1st Gen Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV), and then test drive the vehicles. At this time, Songdo’s leadership was very interested in FCEV buses for the International Business District powered by hydrogen.

Songdo’s innovations were again the subject of my 2013 article for the Korean government’s Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism, highlighting the city’s Green accomplishments.
Link: https://www.scribd.com/document/157552923/KOREA-2013-VOL-9-No-08#

I also hosted a 2013 BBC World Service visit to Songdo IBD, showing off its Green smart city capabilities, capped off by an interview with Cisco’s former Chief Global Strategist Wim Elfrink, an early adopter who popularized the term IoT — the Internet of Things. A day later, we visited Hyundai Motor’s Eco Lab and test-drove their 3rd Gen HCEV, a first-of-its-kind production SUV, which was soon launched in Korea and then California.

In the years that followed, as companies I supported moved to mobility and EVs, I, too, shifted my research and work to these new sectors. Electrification has been and continues to be a major part of my work, leading to an ongoing immersion in the sector supporting Korean startup Grinergy and Green lithium battery technology.

This year we’re seeing a heightened level of engagement fueled by the U.S. Biden administration’s funding more eco-friendly and secure sourcing of related Green technologies at the top of the list. See https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/american-made-limits-sourcing-eliminating-dependence-new-southerton/?trackingId=DMW8HonHQV2b1SGG%2B43GmQ%3D%3D

In particular, the focus on Green, Sustainability, and Resilience is this year’s Earth Day, or as one presenter at a recent webinar shared—it’s more of an Earth Week and Earth Month.

Personally, this includes participating in workshops and presentations at the Federal, State, and local levels, including groups like Yale Blue Green (YBG), who are engaged in environmental and sustainability topics and issues, and the Colorado Electric Vehicle Coalition.

This coming week is no different with plans to attend a Live Earth Day event at NREL—the National Renewable Energy Lab headquarters in Golden, Colorado.

Takeaways
As a Colorado DOT electrification expert shared, the questions their office received just a year ago centered on “if” EVs and related mobility were a good idea—to now a heightened acceptance and questions on expanding infrastructure and issues like micro-mobility, battery recycling, and end-of-life—to expanding availability from urban centers to rural and less economically served areas.

More so, as noted above and in my previous article American-Made, Limits on Sourcing, Eliminating a Dependence on China there is a need for better sourcing and sustainability of the raw materials and components used in Green tech.

Finally, as we reflect on Earth Day, in both in my work and pursuits, I find a greater embrace of new Green technologies, fueled by government and private funding and with a growing public interest in sustainability.

Questions? Comments? Have a project in mind or need support?
Urgent requests Text at 310-866-3777 All other Dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

Grinergy to Exhibit at 2022 UMEX

February 17, 2022 Don Southerton Uncategorized Comments Off

The Abu Dhadi event to showcase drones, robotics, components, and unmanned systems.

Seoul, South Korea. February 16, 2022

Grinergy, a South Korean headquartered lithium-ion rechargeable battery and battery management systems company today announced that they will exhibit at 2022 Unmanned Systems Exhibition (UMEX) and Simulation Training (SimTEX).

The conference set to kick off on February 20^th in Abu Dahbi is dedicated to showcasing drones, robotics, components, and unmanned systems– key applications for Grinergy battery technology.

Grinergy offers multiple solutions to revolutionize the shortcomings of the conventional lithium battery industry. Grinergy’s proprietary technology offers remarkable safety with improved charging capability.

For more information on Grinergy at UNMEX or their battery technology applications, please contact Don Southerton at dsoutherton@grinergy.co.kr or +1-310-866-3777.

Grinergy USA

Year-end Promotions, Restructuring, and New Assignments: Korea’s Corporate Culture 2021

December 19, 2021 Don Southerton Uncategorized Comments Off

Year-end organization-wide promotions, restructuring, and new assignments for teams are traditionally a part of Korean corporate culture. Top to bottom within Korean companies they occur sometime between early December and early January, with the changes to senior leadership announced first, and team level changes as a norm made known the week just before or between Christmas and New Year’s Day.

After the Holidays, teams then report back to work. Some assume new roles frequently in departments where they have little experience—requiring employees to acquire new skills—sink or swim.

In the days that follow those shuffled brief their replacements, as staff remaining in their jobs update new management teams on the status of projects and issues.

Meanwhile, others will be en route to assignments in overseas operations; a challenge for those working outside Korea for the first time.

This can also be a challenge for local overseas operations. In particular, it is common for those newly assigned to be unfamiliar or have very limited experience with the many nuances in the localized foreign business, as well as the new role and responsibilities. Not to mention, working outside Korea is in itself a learning curve that can take months and even years.

And I strongly recommend leadership—Western and Korean– have countermeasures in place to mitigate any transitional gaps. They do occur. In fact, over the years I have worked extensively to facilitate smooth transitions.

So, what to look for…
The top Chaebol will and have begun to announce key promotions, which can provide some insight into future trends. The Chaebol usually also comment on whether this year’s promotion number is more or less than in the past and the reasons “why.”

On restructuring, top Chaebol have already announced plans. These can range from granting more independence to business units to consolidating control.

In their restructuring, SK Group elevated a number of executives to vice-chairman level and granting independent decision-making authority to their key affiliates that span from semi-conductor chips, batteries to wireless network, energy, and biotech.

In contrast, Samsung Electronics noted as a shake-up they will merge 3 of their business units.

Samsung also announced several changes in its corporate policies. With the new year, they will employ a new personnel management system. Under the new system, Samsung will abolish a set of requirements before an employee gets promoted to a certain level, such as a minimum term of service that lasts roughly eight to 10 years. Instead, top-performing employees will be eligible for their work performance and expertise be taken into account as key factors for promotion over time in grade.

The Hyundai Motor Group, too, has announced its executive reshuffle. To align with the new Chairman E.S. Chung’s future vision, we see a plan to bring younger faces on the C-suite with a focus on future mobility and on technology sectors such as infotainment, ICT, and autonomous driving. This then means many of the current leadership are stepping aside to the advisory posts.

New Years’ Message
This said, as in the past, with the new year, we can expect leadership will share their 2022 plans in an annual New Years’ company announcement, too. I monitor closely and as they are in Korean will share when appropriate and upon request.

As a final note, for western global teams, I suggest congratulating those who are promoted but also be sensitive to Korean team members who were passed over… or possibly moved to what may be seen as a less strategic assignment.

BTW Time in grade is just a criteria for promotion, or in some cases if a junior is promoted over a senior it is deemed as their time to retire.

Questions? Please feel free to reach out. dsoutherton@bridgingculture.com

Grinergy Top Pick in ‘K-Startup Center (KSC) Demo Day’

December 17, 2021 Don Southerton Uncategorized Comments Off

Translated by Don Southerton

See the original text:

http://www.sisunnews.co.kr/news/articleView.html?idxno=153895

The 2021 ‘K-Startup Center Demo Day’ was organized and hosted by South Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and the Startup Promotion Agency.

‘KSC’ is a startup support program for promising Korean domestic ventures and startups looking to expand overseas.

This event held on Friday December 10^th at Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul Crystal Ballroom showcased 7 innovative companies. Participating in the KSC program were Aon, Sentbe, Testworks , Grinergy, GEMotion, HiLocal and Dot. Each company presented an IR pitch through the online platform and were then screening by VCs.

The 1^st place winner was ‘Grinergy’, which shared their lithium secondary battery solutions that are capable of low-temperature and rapid charging.

Sentbee, which introduced their “Digital C2C/B2B overseas remittance payment service’, was selected as the 2nd place. ‘TestWorks’, which introduced ‘Artificial Intelligence Algorithm and Data Solution Service for Learning’, was selected in 3^rd place.

“Startups participating in today’s event are promising companies that have been recognized by accelerators from 7 countries around the world,” said Kim Yong-moon, president of the Korea Startup Promotion Agency. “In the future, the Korea Startup Promotion Agency will spare no effort to support K-start-ups to take a leap forward and advance into the global market.”

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Grinergy Selected 1st Place in 2021 K-Startup Center Demo Day

December 11, 2021 Don Southerton Uncategorized Comments Off

Congratulations Grinergy on being selected 1st Place in the 2021 K-Startup Center Demo Day.

What a great honor.

축하합니다

Grinergy is a lithium-ion battery technology company with multiple solutions to revolutionize the shortcomings of the conventional lithium battery industry.

Hangul Day

October 9, 2021 Don Southerton Uncategorized Comments Off

Saturday October 9 is a National Holiday in South Korea — Hangul Day. (As this year the holiday falls on weekend, Monday is celebrated a National Holiday, too).

Hangul Day commemorates the invention and proclamation of Hangul, the alphabet of the Korean language. This commentary will provide some insights into not only Korea, but their native written language. For a online version see https://seoulz.com/how-the-digitization-of-hangul-contributed-to-koreas-economic-rise/

The Digitization of Hangul, the Native Korean Language Script The Hidden Driver of Korea’s Economic Success

We often see terms like “Miracle on the Han,” that highlight South Korea’s economic rise after decades of harsh Japanese colonial rule and then the devastation of the Korean War.

With only determination and its people as resources, Korea became one of the world’s top industrial, export-driven economies. In particular, the main contributions to this success story include the nation’s emphasis on higher education, as well as the role of government and private investment in innovation, technology, and R&D.

Looking deeper, what may be missed is the impact of digitizing the native written language Hangul. Crafted in the mid 15th century during the reign of King Sejeong. Hangul linguistically is seen as a very logical and structured written language script.

Inspired by a vision to make Korea information independent

Jumping forward, it was in the early 1990s that a local Korean company, today’s Hancom, successfully developed a native word processing program for the Korean language.

As Hangul was created so that the common people could accurately and easily read and write the Korean language, so too, the word processing software allowed Koreans to communicate digitally.

Although the Hangul word processing software grew in popularity, by 1998, the company nearly went bust, even though it was considered a national treasure: the Asian Financial Crisis and software piracy had brought the company to its knees.

Rival Microsoft which had only about 15% market penetration in office software at the time in Korea, offered $20 million to Hancom to stop producing its software and instead resell Microsoft’s localized Word program.

For a small investment, Microsoft would have wiped out their main competitor in Korea, one of the few countries in the world that had still resisted wide adoption of Microsoft’s office suite.

When the news of the proposed deal offering surfaced, Koreans united in a national fervor and raised over $10 million through a campaign to save the company.

In addition, the company’s near-bankruptcy brought the issue of software piracy under the spotlight. As a result, Koreans began to pay for their software and more began to adopt and use the Hangul software in Korea.

An Economic Driver

With the rise of globalization, and Korea as a nation leapfrogging economically, experts attribute much of the growth to the streamlining of both government policy and regulations. This was possible with a universally accepted digitalized Hangul well suited to the E-Government transfer of information. E-Government refers to a government that uses technological communications devices, such as computers and the Internet, to provide public services in a country or region.

This has also given Korea a strong competitive advantage — data management critical in the digital age.

Looking forward, South Korea today is at the forefront of AI and Cloud-based technology. That said, one may argue that many under-developed nations, most with their own indigenous languages, too, could follow Korea’s digitalization model.

Globally, South Korea and Korean business are well-positioned to support this and similar endeavors — as the Korean proverb noted — A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats.

Grinergy CEO: The biggest obstacle in the electric vehicle era is the battery!

August 31, 2021 Don Southerton Commentary, News Comments Off

Translated by D on Southerton

— Lithium-ion batteries perform poorly in cold weather. Lead-acid batteries are not environmentally friendly.
— alternative, lithium-titanium compound, minus 30 degrees, withstand fast charging,
— buses, ships, heavy-duty ‘multiplier’ market can coexist with lithium-ion

“There are several problems with batteries used in today’s vehicles. Lead-acid batteries are safe, but they pollute the environment and are heavy. Lithium-ion batteries lose their performance significantly when the temperature drops. I think there are batteries that solve these problems. I think the era will come when the existing battery market and new batteries coexist.” Grinergy CEO Sungpang (Scott) Bang

This is a startup that began with the idea that battery technology is a key issue in the era of electric mobility. In Silicon Valley, Sungpang ( Scott) Bang (47, photo)who worked at Tesla, Apple, Byton, and Hyundai, etc., and Samsung Electronics’ former COO Byung-hoon Jeong, who co-founded Grinergy in 2017, are the main characters.

They witnessed early on that the automobile industry was slowly shifting from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles, but they realized that current battery technology could not match the tasks that internal combustion engines are doing.

For example, there are problems in that the existing batteries under perform the internal combustion engine in heavy trucks that require strong output or in areas where more than half of the year temperatures falls below -10 degrees Celsius except in the summer.

For this reason, for several years since its establishment in 2017 Grinergy has developed a secondary battery using Lithium Titanium compound (LTO). Currently, 5 patents related to LTO batteries have been registered and 6
applications have been filed. Grinergy co-CEO Bang met with reporters in San Jose, California, USA and said, “LTO batteries are lead-free, so they are more environmentally friendly and work at -30 degrees.”

The typical case use is in electric vehicles and low temperatures. This is because Lithium-ion batteries that power vehicles instead of internal combustion engines perform poorly in low temperatures.This lithium-ion battery operates normally at 10–50 degrees Celsius, and its efficiency drops significantly when the temperature is higher or lower.

More so, in order to upgrade energy sources from internal combustion engines to electricity for transportation means that cars, trucks, heavy equipment, railways, and yachts operating in cold regions have no choice but to look for other alternatives due to the limitations of the existing Lithium-ion batteries.

On the other hand, LTO batteries are resistant to temperature, so they can be charged at -30 degrees Celsius. “We are conducting due diligence evaluations of batteries with a [Korean] military base through a defense venture project,” said CEO Bang. The goal is to prove how much Grinergy’s LTO battery can perform even in cold weather.

In addition, Grinergy is providing products for Korea’s outdoor smart signs. The current batteries powering the smart signs freeze in cold weather and do not work properly.

Grinergy is also paying attention to medium-to-large transportation such as buses, ships, trains, and heavy equipment, markets that are urgently required to be electrified due to the soot and the pollution problems that pose.

In the case of transportation, it is important to increase the mileage by compressing the size and weight of the battery, but it is also more important to increase the output of energy in a short time. CEO Bang said, “Grinergy’s batteries have better performance for these special industries.”

There is a growing possibility that LTO batteries will replace lead-acid batteries used for starting in existing vehicles. Lead-acid batteries are widely used in automobiles because they are very safe. Even electric vehicles such as Tesla contain lead-acid batteries and are used for starting.

Lead-acid batteries are widely used in automobiles because they are very safe.
Even electric vehicles such as Tesla contain lead-acid batteries and are used for starting the vehicle.

However, since the recycling of lead-acid batteries is often done in underdeveloped countries — breaking down of the battery into its raw materials — it causes not only environmental pollution issues but also poses health problems. CEO Bang notes he saw the environmental pollution problem of recycling this lead acid battery and thought about how to solve it.

Of course, LTO batteries are not without their drawbacks. CEO Bang said, “LTO batteries have 10~15% less capacity to the same volume compared to general lithium batteries. In particular, he predicted that lithium-ion batteries and LTO batteries would coexist in the future. CEO Bang explained, “The global battery market is worth close to $1 trillion, but half of the battery market is lithium-ion and the rest is lead-acid batteries.” He added, “LTO batteries can be charged at -30 degrees Celsius, can be charged more than 10 times faster than lithium-ion, and are eco-friendly, so there is a good chance of winning.”

[Silicon Valley = Reporter Shin Hyeon-gyu / Reporter Lee Sang-deok]
[ⓒ Maeil Business & mk.co.kr,]

https://donsoutherton.medium.com/the-biggest-obstacle-in-the-electric-vehicle-era-is-the-battery-56e8a63210b7

Haps Magazine–Commentary: “I think it is going to be battery power”

August 28, 2021 Don Southerton Commentary Comments Off

Battery Power. Michael Malone one of America’s best-known technology writers has taken a shot at predicting game-changing technology that will fuel Silicon Valley’s next round of growth.

In July 2021, Malone among other tech experts who spoke as part of the Computer History Museum’s CHM Live series on the resilience of Silicon Valley.

“I think it is going to be battery power,” he said. “There are some battery companies out there that are doing some interesting things.” Malone feels batteries may follow the path of other technologies and Moore’s Law.

Well-referenced, Moore’s Law states that we can expect the speed and capability of our computers to increase every couple of years, and we will pay less for them.

It’s noted that Gordon Moore co-founder and chairman emeritus of Intel had always said that, at a certain point, battery power, too, would be the limiting factor for future tech advances.

But, Malone has indicated, perhaps the time has come for battery improvements to escalate. “It is possible that batteries can get on the freight train of Moore’s Law,” he said.

“I think the next great invention is just around the corner.”

Not the only one to see the potential in batteries. Rodney Brooks, Panasonic Professor of Robotics (emeritus) at MIT, in his recent article The Battery Revolution Is Just Getting Started, draws upon the famous line from the 1967 movie The Graduate for an updated 2021 spin. “If I were to offer advice to an ambitious young graduate today, I’d have one word for her: ‘Batteries.’”

I’d add to not only at Silicon Valley, but to South Korea a hub of battery innovation, too.

About the Author

Grinergy is developing leading-edge lithium-ion rechargeable battery technology for electric vehicles and other uses, with state-of-art safety, batteries with fast battery charge times, and improved cell power density. Grinergy has recently announced expanding operation to North America. Talks have also begun with potential POC partners, licensees and investors.

Source: https://www.hapskorea.com/commentary-i-think-it-is-going-to-be-battery-power/

Battery Power: a Grinergy Commentary

August 15, 2021 Don Southerton Commentary Comments Off

Lithium ion battery will only grow. South Korea Grinergy provides some solutions.

Battery Power Grinergy …Michael Malone one of America’s best-known technology writers has taken a shot at predicting game-changing technology that will fuel Silicon Valley’s next round of growth.herto

In July 2021, Malone among other tech experts who spoke as part of the Computer History Museum’s CHM Live series on the resilience of Silicon Valley.

Well-referenced, Moore’s Law states that we can expect the speed and capability of our computers to increase every couple of years, and we will pay less for them.

It’s noted that Gordon Moore co-founder and chairman emeritus of Intel had always said that, at a certain point, battery power, too, would be the limiting factor for future tech advances.

But, Malone has indicated, perhaps the time has come for battery improvements to escalate. “It is possible that batteries can get on the freight train of Moore’s Law,” he said.

“I think the next great invention is just around the corner.

Not the only one to see the potential in batteries. Rodney Brooks, Panasonic Professor of Robotics (emeritus) at MIT, in his recent article The Battery Revolution Is Just Getting Started draws upon the famous line from the 1967 movie The Graduate for an updated 2021 spin. “If I were to offer advice to an ambitious young graduate today, I’d have one word for her: ‘Batteries.’”

I’d add to not only at Silicon Valley, but to South Korea a hub of battery innovation, too.

About the Author

For nearly 30 years, Don Southerton has advised Korean firms doing business in the United States and globally. He has also worked with American firms’ M&A and FDI teams as part of their business expansions in South Korea. An author of more than a dozen books on entrepreneurship and Korea he has been interviewed and quoted by Arirang Global Insights, The Economist, Bloomberg TV, The BBC World News, US Korea Connect, eFM Seoul, The Wall Street Journal, Korea Times, Yonhap, Forbes, CNN, and Fortune among other media.

He currently serves as Chief Investment Officer for South Korea’s Grinergy.

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Grinergy Batteries: The Next Advancement in Lithium-ion

August 7, 2021 Don Southerton Global Business Comments Off

Surprising Many. Grinergy–Next Innovative Advancements in Lithium-ion Batteries Are On The Way From South Korea.

More and more vehicle owners around the world are learning to love Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) and these clean-energy cars and SUVs are moving toward worldwide acceptance, However, there are troubling clouds as automakers move to a clean, sustainable future. The problem? One of the most serious technical challenges BEVs face is the need for improvements in battery technology.

While battery engineering has vastly improved, global vehicle manufacturers and the battery makers they depend on still face some key issues that must be overcome. Even as the sales of BEVs continue to increase every month, there are troubling issues around batteries that experts feel must be improved to allow for true mass acceptance of electric vehicles.

The challenges of lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles include:

· The need to increase the energy density of the batteries
· Allowing recharging rates that are significantly faster than those possible today
· Improving the cold-weather performance of batteries (Some studies have shown up to a 40 percent reduction in range in severe cold weather)
· Increasing safety by reducing the danger of fire

Grinergy, Energy Company of the Future from Korea
Surprising some, the answers to these questions seem to be emerging from South Korea as the battery technology company Grinergy, which is at the forefront of developing next-generation lithium-ion batteries and has begun to reveal startling new technology.

Working in Korea since 2017 the Grinergy engineers and technicians have already filed for 10 patents in Korea and 9 international Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) patents with more under development.

Grinergy technology overcomes the current failings of traditional Lithium-ion batteries.

Developments in the United States
All the new Grinergy technology arrives at just the right time in the United States market. At the end of March 2021, the administration of United States President Joe Biden announced a trillion-dollar legislative package which includes a $174 billion investment in the U.S. electric vehicle market.

Industry leaders have noted that with vehicle electrification it’s all about the batteries which, until now, have faced serious challenges. Grinergy has come along at just the right time with many of the answers. Even Chief Executive Officer Oliver Blume at Porsche, which made its stellar reputation with gasoline-powered vehicles now says, “the battery cell is the combustion chamber of the future.”

Perhaps it shouldn’t surprise anyone that one of the places breakthrough battery technology is being created is in South Korea. In May 2021 President Biden chose to make just the second meeting he ever held as President at the White House with a foreign leader a summit meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Technology was one of the important topics the two leaders discussed.

The Market
The rechargeable battery market has been growing exponentially with a compound annual growth rate of some 25 percent in recent years. For example, electric vehicles are a critical part of this growth as sales of such vehicles exploded at an unprecedented rate in major Asian, European, and American markets. In 2020 the market was almost a trillion U.S. dollars and is growing strongly in 2021.

Today the technology has far surpassed that of the older lead acid and nickel cadmium batteries which were once used. Lithium-ion has proven to be a superior technology as its use in almost all EVs today demonstrates. Grinergy’s battery technology now adds the next step to the dependable lithium-ion battery increasing safety, flexibility, manufacturability, capacity, and greater fast charge capability all of which foretells a future that is evolving to meet the world’s need for environmentally friendly energy.

Grinergy and the Future
Awareness of Grinergy lithium-ion technology is just beginning to emerge. In a world hungry for innovation leading to better batteries to power the current and future generations of electric vehicles and products, Grinergy is ready to speed movement toward improved worldwide sustainability, in part through the application of electric vehicles that meet the globe’s needs for mobility.

To learn more, go to: LINK

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