NEO Battery Materials (TSXV: NBM) (OTC: NBMFF) announced that its subsidiary NBM Korea has partnered with Korea Zinc (KRX: 010130) and Taesung (KRX: 323280) to accelerate development and commercialization of composite copper current collector (foil) technology for high-performance batteries targeting drones, robotics, and micromobility applications.
Korea Zinc is a leading non‑ferrous metals smelter and refiner, Taesung is a developer of composite copper foil processing equipment, and NEO is a noted Canadian developer of silicon‑enhanced lithium‑ion battery technology.
The partners said the collaboration will focus on optimizing lithium‑ion battery performance parameters specific to those markets. Composite copper foils replace the central copper layer with polymer materials to reduce copper usage and battery weight, which the companies say improves energy density, lowers cost, and enhances safety compared with conventional all‑copper foils. NEO stated the material innovation will complement its silicon anode product, NBMSiDE, in manufacturing energy‑dense batteries for drones and robotics.
Under a memorandum of understanding (MOU), Korea Zinc, Taesung and NEO will pursue joint research and development to optimize and validate composite copper foil performance, refine manufacturing processes, evaluate bench‑scale cell prototypes, and produce system‑level battery prototypes for field demonstration and validation.
In the initial phase, Korea Zinc and Taesung will lead foil material development and optimization while NEO manufactures and evaluates the foils in bench‑scale cells. If the work meets targeted milestones, Korea Zinc and NEO plan to jointly produce battery prototypes for integration and testing in live operating environments.
"Successful production and demonstration of drone and micromobility batteries integrated with composite copper foils by the end of this year would mark the first such achievement within the Korean battery industry. This would be a significant milestone in diversifying our battery materials portfolio and in proactively securing the technological capabilities necessary to address evolving market dynamics," A Korea Zinc spokesperson stated.
"Based on the outcomes of this MOU, all parties expect to secure a competitive position within the global composite copper foil market. By combining Korea Zinc's global upstream materials expertise with Taesung's specialized equipment technology, NEO views this strategic partnership as a meaningful advancement toward delivering a differentiated value proposition and expanding its customized solution pipeline within the global drone and robotics markets," Dr. J.S. Jeoung, SVP of cell development and commercialization, noted.
The release notes copper foil functions as the sole current collector for anodes in lithium‑ion batteries and that composite foils interact synergistically with high‑capacity silicon anode materials to mitigate mechanical strain, improving energy density and cycle life. The partners said remanufacturing and field validation will determine readiness for commercial deployment.
More information is available at www.NeoBatteryMaterials.com, www.Koreazinc.co.kr, and www.Taesung2000.com/eng
February 5, 2026
February 4, 2026
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