▲ speech is being given by the CEO, Kim Yeon-seop (right) at the Global Strategy Meeting in the first half of 2026.

█ Major executives from Korea and overseas, including the CEO, Kim Yeon-seop, attended the meeting, which was held over two days on Tuesday the 13th and Wednesday the 14th at the Iksan Plant.

█ For the Elecfoil for PCB business, the company will respond to growing demand for high value-added circuit foil for AI applications by expanding capacity at the Iksan Plant, the only circuit foil production base in Korea…  Through “speed” and “execution capability,” the company aims to rapidly establish customers within the global value chain.

█ For the Elecfoil for Secondary battery business, the company will focus on enhancing execution capabilities at its Malaysia plant and diversifying its product portfolio… By advancing Phase 2 innovation activities under the RISE 1000 project, the company seeks to secure world-class cost competitiveness. 

█ The CEO, Kim Yeon-seop stated, “We will strongly promote innovation across our entire operating system by integrating data-driven AI technologies centered on production, quality, and R&D,” and added, “Beyond short-term performance improvements, we will devote ourselves to laying the foundation for a leap forward through the structural transformation of our business.”

LOTTE Energy Materials held its Global Strategy Meeting for the first half of 2026 over two days from 13th to 14th at its Iksan Plant. Major executives and employees from Korea and overseas attended the meeting.

The meeting was aimed at strengthening competitiveness among business segments and to facilitate in-depth discussions on key issues. In order to create synergy between focus and urgency, presentations and discussions were conducted separately for the Circuit Foil business and the Elecfoil for Secondary Battery business. The forum offered an opportunity to share detailed business plans and reflect candidly.

In the CEO’s New Year’s address earlier this year, he emphasized, “Our business has reached the limits of partial improvements, and sustainable survival and growth are impossible without fundamental competitiveness.” The CEO also shared his firm resolution: “Beyond short-term performance improvements, we will devote ourselves to laying the foundation for a leap forward through the structural transformation of our business this year.” 

On the first day, discussions focused on measures to secure competitiveness for achieving global top-tier status at the Iksan Plant, which is the only circuit foil production base in Korea. 

The Iksan plant aims to quickly establish the position within the global value chain through “speed” and “execution capability,” in response to surging demand from big-tech companies for high value-added circuit foil for AI applications. To build customer trust, the company will quickly stabilize quality and expand production capacity through the completion of customer qualification processes currently underway.

To achieve this goal, the company is planning to switch the entire production capacity of Elecfoil for Secondary Battery at the Iksan Plant to circuit foil lines. Following the line conversion and completion of product approvals from domestic and global customers, the company expects to mark the first full-scale increase in sales of high value-added circuit foil for AI applications in 2026.    

During the second day, discussions focused on enhancing execution capabilities at the Malaysia Plant, which is currently preparing for the full-scale production of high-end Elecfoil for Secondary Battery. Ensuring cost competitiveness, equipment integrity, and strategies to respond to product portfolio diversification will be the focus.

The Malaysia Plant has improved yield and efficiency through inventory and scrap reduction processes implemented under the RISE 1000 project since last year. Through the Phase 2 innovation activities of the project, the company aims to gain world-class cost competitiveness from this year onward.

The company is in the process of implementing the full operation of Malaysia Plants 5 and 6, which were completed in 2024, to manufacture high-value-added products that require significant manufacturing effort, in response to customer and product diversification. This includes ultra-thin foil, high-strength foil, thick foil, and wide-width products. By utilizing state-of-the-art equipment and advanced technical expertise, the company will strive to enhance its quality competitiveness by achieving zero customer claims and elevating factory productivity to a world-class level.

The CEO noted that “We will strongly promote innovation across our entire operating system by integrating data-driven AI technologies specially focused on production, quality, and R&D sites.” In addition, “Increasing the number of new customers and applications by more than 20% will reduce business risks associated with stagnation in the EV market, while focusing on proactive marketing and expanding into new markets to ensure market leadership when demand recovers.”   

LOTTE Energy Materials launched 'HiSTEP,' a hybrid high-end product brand in Korean copper foil industry in 2025, which provides differentiated product services through high-specification material solutions. At the same time, actively promoting technical exchange meetings with OEMs and battery manufacturers by proposing customized technologies designed for specific product applications, with the focus on high value-added circuit foil for AI and Elecfoil for Secondary Battery for ESS applications.