The 2023 SK Innovation Global Forum was held in San Jose, California, USA from June 24 to 25 (local time). SK Group has been running the Global Forum since 2012 as a “networking platform” for exchanges with global and experts, and since 2021 SK Innovation has been hosting the event to expand its global network that will boost to the implementation of the company’s “Carbon to Green” strategy.

(*)Carbon to Green: SK Innovation and its subsidiaries’ key set of strategies to transform traditional fossil fuel-based business structure to eco-friendly one.

Attendees of the forum included key executives from SK Innovation and its subsidiaries, including Vice Chairman & CEO of SK Innovation Kim Jun, SK Geo Centric CEO Na Kyung-soo, SK On CEO Jee Dong-seob, SK Enmove CEO Park Sang-kyu, SK Incheon Petrochem CEO Choi Yun-seok, SK Trading International CEO Suh Sok-won, SK Earthon CEO Myeong Seong, and Head of SK Innovation Institute of Environmental Science & Technology Lee Seong-jun.

▲ (Left) Participants pick up badges while entering the venue of 2023 SK Innovation Global Forum / (Right) Participants gather in the main hall of 2023 SK Innovation Global Forum

Along with major officials from SK Innovation affiliates, about 100 global experts including master’s and doctoral degrees from leading universities and research institutes in the U.S., and employees of global companies in the field of eco-friendly materials and resource recycling took part in 2023 SK Innovation Global Forum, making it a more diversified venue. They all came together at this event to share the latest technologies and market trends related to the future energy.

| A chance to learn more about SK Innovation’s Financial Story

The event started with a congratulatory video sent by Kannan Ramaswamy, Ph.D., the William D. Hacker Chair Professor of Management in the Department of Global Business at Thunderbird School of Global Management, Arizona State University. “SK has got a long history in terms of setting the pace with respect to management practices, in terms of innovative thinking, creative ideas, and new ways of solving business problems,” said Professor Ramaswamy. He believed that SK Innovation Global Forum would bring “a lot of insights” and “ideas,” and participants can “share new knowledge and thoughts that will collectively help us become much stronger as we march towards meeting the challenge of climate change as a society.”

▲ Vice Chairman & CEO of SK Innvoation Kim Jun delivers the opening speech at 2023 SK Innovation Global Forum

After watching the congratulatory video of Professor Ramaswamy, Vice Chairman & CEO of SK Innovation Kim Jun came up to deliver the opening speech to start the event officially. “From now on, SK Innovation will grow as a ‘Green Energy & Materials Company,’ and continuously generate the driving force that moves the world with a focus on green businesses,” Vice Chairman Kim emphasized. “We will present a new paradigm in the future energy market based on our potential to provide carbon-centered energy for the past 60 years,” he added. Vice Chairman Kim then mentioned that SK Innovation would share its future energy strategy and goals at this year’s Global Forum. Towards the attendees, he said, “I hope you will lead us to new insights by actively sharing and discussing your knowledge and experiences.”

▲ Kang Dong-soo, Head of Head of Portfolio Divisional Group of SK Innovation, delivers a key note speech at 2023 SK Innovation Global Forum

Afterwards, Kang Dong-soo, Head of Portfolio Divisional Group of SK Innovation, gave a keynote speech, followed by a Q&A session for the key executives. In his keynote speech, Kang mentioned, “As of 2023, SK Innovation’s green assets have expanded to 61% of its total assets, and we expect to expand them to 70% next year.”

The discussion sessions that followed consisted of six themes: ▲ New Anchor (hydrogen, ammonia, etc.), ▲Recycle, ▲Secondary Battery, ▲Green Transition, ▲Green Materials, ▲Geo-Tech Net Zero Biz, which are the center of SK Innovation’s New Green Portfolio strategy. The discussion topics were expanded from last year by collecting opinions from the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of SK Innovation and all subsidiaries of SK Innovation.

The New Anchor session was about new types of clean energy. It covered the status and lookout of multiple topics including water electrolysis and next-generation ammonia manufacturing technology, carbon capture and utilization technology development and related projects in North America. As for Recycle session, after examining the current trend of building a plastic recycling ecosystem, participants learned about the new recycling resource such as metal and water.

The Green Transition session talked about the technologies of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) and thermal management of electric vehicles. The focus of Secondary Battery session was on secondary battery developing strategies and support policies of the U.S.

The Green Materials led by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of SK Innovation discussed promising material development and issues among non-battery fields. In the Geo-Tech Net Zero Biz session led by SK Earthon, the current state of cooling and heating technology using Carbon Storage & Geo-Energy on the stratum was discussed.

▲ Various sessions were held at 2023 SK Innovation Global Forum with the participation of the company key execitives: (Clockwise from tom left) SK Geo Centric CEO Na Kyung-soo attended Recycle session / SK On CEO Jee Dong-seob attended Secondary Battery session / SK Incheon Petrochem CEO Choi Yun-seok attended Recycle session / Q&A session / SK Earthon CEO Myeong Seong attended Geo-Tech Net Zero Biz session / SK Enmove CEO Park Sang-kyu and SK Trading International CEO Suh Sok-won participated in Geen Transition session

| A platform to share information and knowledge related to future energy

The second day of the forum was to share the latest technologies and market trends related to future energy. Dr. Kim Phil-seok, Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) Program Director, was the first to start with a presentation entitled “Transformative energy R&D in the next 30 years towards Net Zero.” ARPA-E is a research support agency of the US Department of Energy, and Dr. Kim Pil-seok is responsible for managing the overall development of research support programs, project selection, project evaluation and discontinuation.

▲ Dr. Kim Phil-seok, ARPA-E Program Director, made a presentation at 2023 SK Innovation Global Forum on June 25 (local time)

After Dr. Kim’s presentation was the panel discussion. The contents of each session took place on the first day were summarized and shared, followed by free discussion and Q&A time. It was also a time to recall and emphasize the meaning and value of SK Innovation’s New Green Portfolio strategy, and resolve to act together.

SK Innovation will continue to communicate with key talents through global forums and share new growth visions, while further developing technological capabilities and expanding networks to take the lead in creating a better future.