▲ (From left) President of SK Battery America Junho Hwang, Augusta University President Brooks A. Keel, and Georgia Department of Economic Development Commisioner Pat Wilson

On May 14 (local time), SK Innovation was reported to have donated 400,000 US dollars to Augusta University in Georgia, where the company’s first electric vehicle battery production base in the U.S. is located. The purpose of this donation is to support the local community to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Specifically, SK Innovation’s contribution will be used to support expenses related to physicians at the Medical College of Georgia, and health care providers at AU Health, who are providing free virtual telehealth COVID-19 screening through the AU Health ExpressCare online application and testing through drive-thru specimen collection locations around Georgia. The donation will also help the state enhance its testing capacity while reducing exposure to doctors, nurses and other medical staff through at-home screening.

In recent addresses to Georgians regarding COVID-19, Governor Brian P. Kemp has applauded the launch of Augusta University’s COVID-19 telemedicine app and emphasized the value of public-private partnerships.

“We’re grateful to SK innovation for their generous donation and to Governor Kemp for sharing information statewide about our virtual platform,” said Augusta University President Brooks A. Keel in a release. “This donation further exemplifies the importance of public-private partnerships and will help our medical providers continue to deliver virtual COVID-19 screenings to all Georgians at no cost.”

Georgia Department of Economic Development Commissioner Pat Wilson also said: “Our relationships have always been among our state’s most vital resources, and this partnership between Augusta University and SK innovation is another example of what we can do when we work together. We thank SK innovation for their continued commitment to Georgia.”

Meanwhile, on April 28, SK Innovation announced its decision to additionally invest 727 million US dollars in the construction of a second electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in the U.S., following approval by the the company’s Board of Directors. In order to secure a stable supply of EV batteries for global automakers and boost its fundamental competitiveness, SK Innovation said that it will inject a total of 3 trillion KRW for the two U.S. battery plants, among which the first one is currently under construction in Georgia, and the second one will be in the same state. In the long term, SK Innovation plans to scale up the investment, and it may be up to 5 billion US dollars.