Element has acquired NCT Co., Ltd. (NCT) one of the principal battery testing companies in South Korea. The purchase marks ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s continued expansion in Asia and adds unique destructive battery testing capabilities to its Connected Technologies business and the region.
Headquartered in Dongtan, Hwaseong, NCT provides comprehensive testing and certification services across battery and electrical safety, reliability testing and analysis, and wireless, for the mobility, consumer goods, medical device, and telecommunication markets. Its 50 colleagues bring great expertise in the safety, performance, regulatory, and abuse testing areas for small, medium, and large format cells, modules, and packs. NCT accreditations and certifications include KOLAS, KATS, RRA, and IEC, covering Korea and worldwide.
The acquisition bolsters ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s Connected Technologies and Mobility business unit, comprised of 23 combined laboratories across the USA, UK, Germany, China, South Korea, and Japan, and allows for commercial and technical synergies where appropriate. In addition to NCT’s world-class facilities, customers will gain access to ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s existing laboratory network and team of nearly 1,000 technology experts, equipped technically, operationally, and geographically to make certain that products are safe, compliant, and fit for purpose.
Matt Hopkinson, EVP of EMEAA at ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, said: “The acquisition of NCT is an exciting step for ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½, as our global Connected Technologies business goes from strength to strength. It is their ambition for growth, underpinned by a strong customer-focused culture in a highly dynamic and fast-growing market, that makes them a great fit to join ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½.
“We have invested over $300m into the Connected Technologies business unit and intend to build out our battery testing services extensively and globally. Adding a business of this caliber will help us establish a position of real scale to consistently deliver the best services and investments for our customers.”
Ju-Eok Seo, CEO at NCT, added: “I am delighted that NCT will be joining ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s network of global laboratories and experts. We will add valuable battery testing expertise and large-scale destructive testing that is unique to the region and ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½.
“ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½’s clear commitment to growth, and strong track record of integrating new businesses, instils every confidence that this will be a fruitful, long-term partnership.”
ÌìÃÀ´«Ã½ provides testing for battery use, including the customized safety, failure analysis, performance verification, and life prediction of lithium batteries, for a variety of industries including medical devices, power tools, automotive and mobile devices. Both environmental and mechanical testing of batteries, combined with charge/discharge cycling of cells, temperature monitoring, pressure monitoring, flow monitoring, and data collection, follow leading standards to help bring safe, quality, and compliant products to market.