"Completion of Total Electric Vehicle Solution... Resolving Test and Certification Bottlenecks" [Encounter]①
[An Seong-il, President of KTC, Interview on the 1st Anniversary of Appointment]
Designation of Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) test institution by Open Charging Consortium (OCCP) last month, expectations for resolving domestic certification delays taking 2 to 4 months
"The rapid transformation of the automotive ecosystem through digital and green transition, will be a Sherpa assisting in completing the K-EV value chain"
An Seong-il, the president of the Korea Testing Certification (KTC), who accompanied President Yoon Suk-yeol on his state visit to the Netherlands last December, drew attention. The presence of a certification institution in the economic delegation was unusual, and being among heavyweight business figures like Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics, and Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, added to the significance.
President An made his presence felt just two days after the state visit by signing a business agreement with the Open Charge Alliance (OCA), the organization that establishes and operates the globally recognized Open Charge Point Protocol (OCPP) for electric vehicle (EV) charging. It was a moment when KTC became the 8th OCPP-certified testing institution in the world.
President An, in a recent interview on his 1st anniversary of assuming office held at KG Tower in Seoul, stated, "The demand for OCPP standard certification from our company is increasing, but due to the shortage of domestic OCPP testing institutions, there has been a bottleneck in testing and certification. With KTC's service provision, we are expected to resolve the backlog issues and contribute to the development of the electric vehicle charging industry. "
The Ministry of Environment recently set OCPP certification between electric vehicle charging stations and operating servers as one of the eligibility requirements for subsidies to companies promoting the deployment of electric vehicle chargers in South Korea. However, until now, only one organization, the Korea Smart Grid Association, provided this service domestically, and manufacturers had to wait 2 to 4 months for certification. With KTC's involvement, the certification period is expected to be more than halved. President An stated, "With the global spread of the OCPP standard, it will also help our electric vehicle chargers to be exported."
KTC, as a non-profit foundation specializing in testing and certification in the fields of machinery, electricity, and electronics, provides testing and certification services verifying the performance and stability of electric vehicles, electric vehicle components, and electric vehicle chargers through close collaboration with the government and Hyundai Motor Group. With the recent designation as an OCPP testing institution, KTC has become the only institution in South Korea to provide all six major testing and certification services related to electric vehicle chargers, including safety, electromagnetic compatibility, energy efficiency, metering, communication, and durability.
President An's aspiration is to leverage KTC's unique strengths to support the expansion of the entire electric vehicle value chain. He emphasized, "By providing a total solution for electric vehicles, KTC will become a Sherpa guiding growth, innovation, and overseas expansion throughout the K-EV value chain, covering materials, batteries, electronic devices, from large corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises."
The following is a Q&A with President An Seong-il.
-Regarding the designation of OCA and OCPP testing institutions during President Yoon's state visit to the Netherlands in December last year.
"The open communication protocol (OCPP) standard for communication between electric vehicle chargers and operating servers is spreading globally, and our Ministry of Environment is also increasing the demand for certification of products that have completed this certification by providing subsidies. However, as there is currently only one institution in Korea providing testing services, manufacturers have been waiting for 2 to 4 months for testing. With KTC providing OCPP testing services, it is expected to not only resolve the domestic backlog but also contribute to the global spread of high-quality K-EV chargers."
-It seems that you are putting a lot of effort into expanding the charger business.
"With the spread of electric vehicles, major conglomerates, including Hyundai Motor Group, have begun to show interest in charger deployment. KTC, in collaboration with Hyundai Motor Group, has developed the 'EV-Q' model for the quality verification system of electric vehicle chargers and opened a quality certification center to conduct related tests. Not only for Hyundai Motor but also for other companies, we plan to carry out EV-Q certification. In the future, we will establish a comprehensive test and evaluation center based on bidirectional electric vehicle chargers that can use electric vehicle batteries as energy storage devices, and provide testing and certification services for battery exchange stations for electric two-wheelers."
-It seems that there will be more export opportunities naturally.
"The market research firm Global Market Insights has forecasted that the size of the global electric vehicle charging market, which was $26.3 billion in 2022, will grow to over $280 billion in 2032, more than tenfold. With many major companies entering the market, the quality competitiveness of K-EV chargers is increasing, and orders are increasing in the United States, Europe, and ASEAN."
-What do you think is KTC's role in this process?
"With the deepening protectionist trade policies of each country, many countries are establishing their own testing and certification systems. International standards have not yet been established. Through business agreements with 67 overseas institutions in 36 countries, KTC supports our companies in obtaining local certifications more easily through mutual recognition of test results. For example, last year, a company preparing for electric vehicle charging services received Energy Star certification in the United States through KTC, reducing the local certification period from 4 months to 2 months and the cost from 50 million won to 20 million won."
-Why does KTC focus on testing and certification services in the electric vehicle field?
"The automotive industry is a core industry in the global digital and green transformation. Elements of the electric vehicle value chain, such as autonomous driving, electronic devices, vehicle semiconductors, chargers, batteries, and materials, are growing rapidly. Our automotive ecosystem is also undergoing a major transformation. Without having a value chain that encompasses both large and small and medium-sized enterprises, it may be difficult for K-automobiles to sustain Korea, as it did in the past 20 years. It is also the area where we can excel in machinery, electricity, and electronics, which are our strengths."
-What specific areas are there?
"In the digital sector, there are autonomous driving and electronic devices, vehicle semiconductors, and in the green sector, there are batteries, motors, and chargers. These elements also have expansion potential into new industries such as drones, robots, urban air mobility (UAM), and hydrogen vehicles. KTC provides testing and certification services across various fields, including KC testing and certification services for 5G communication for autonomous driving, and is also increasing research and development (R&D) capabilities in related areas."
-Apart from electric vehicles, in which areas is KTC gaining strength?
"Since taking office as the president of KTC in January of last year, I have set three major sectors and thirteen strategic areas that encompass digital transformation, green transformation, and future growth industries as the direction of our organization. Following the recent selection as the top institution in the clean hydrogen certification and testing evaluation agency, we are focusing on expanding hydrogen-based infrastructure projects. As the only testing and certification institution in the information and communication sector, we are leading in areas such as Internet of Things (IoT), medical device cybersecurity testing, and also planning new defense R&D projects by establishing cooperative networking with defense industry quality organizations."
-Is there an ultimate goal?
"Testing and certification are procedures that all companies must go through to sell products domestically and internationally. In addition to this, KTC aims to lead the digital and green transformation of the industry, contributing to the growth of Korean companies, regional innovation, and the leap to becoming a strong trading nation."
"Since its establishment, the most extensive personnel changes and organizational restructuring... Will produce substantial results from this year" [Encounter]②
[An Seong-il, KTC President, Interview on the 1st Anniversary of Appointment]
Clearly defining specific areas for all departments, including batteries, electric cars, semiconductors, and robots, shifting from function-centric to industry-centric with 11 headquarters and 3 business units comprising over 60 departments. Over 70% of department head-level appointments were replaced in line with President An Seong-il's policy of ensuring that corporate customers understand exactly what the organization does. The organizational restructuring was conducted last year by the Korea Testing Certification (KTC).
President An explained the significance of last year's organizational restructuring in a recent interview on his 1st anniversary of assuming office at KG Tower in Seoul, emphasizing the change in the mindset of employees. He mentioned, "Employees began studying related technologies, government policies, and international standards, realizing that we are conducting defense tests and certifications."
KTC was established in 2010 through the consolidation of domestic testing and certification agencies. At that time, the names of the agencies, such as the Korea Electrical Testing Institute and the Korea Electronics Testing Institute, were combined into KTC. Despite the names, they operated in an infinite competitive structure, unrelated to industries. President An's efforts to expand the business areas also stem from this reason.
Substantial achievements followed. Last month, in the process of designating a clean hydrogen certification testing and evaluation agency by the government, KTC was selected as the top choice, surpassing various domestic and international specialized institutions. President An expressed his aspirations, starting with this achievement, to show visible results in each sector. He stated, "Over the past year of my term, I have focused on internal system maintenance, setting new visions, and establishing a cooperation system with external companies and organizations," adding, "In the remaining two years of my term, I will achieve substantial results in each part and create a foundation for companies to grow."
President An explained that the greatest strength of KTC lies in the accumulated experience in the mechanical, electrical, and electronic sectors. He said, "There is no product in manufacturing that is not related to machinery, electricity, or electronics," and confidently stated, "Although there may be weaknesses in not having accumulated enough capacity in some new businesses, the core capabilities are already in place, just not approached at the industry level."
In the process of aggressively promoting new business ventures, what President An always emphasizes to employees is the 'field.' He mentioned, "I instruct each department head to 'don't just sit at your desk but go out chasing companies, understand what the company's difficulties are, and identify what we can do,'" adding, "Even during my 30 years of public service, I worked with the mindset of '우문현답' (the answer lies in the field)."
The significant increase in KTC's participation in major domestic and international exhibitions last year is also due to this emphasis. President An said, "In previous years, we participated passively about twice a year, but last year, we participated in 15 major exhibitions," and explained, "We are not just participating, but setting up booths to promote KTC, and employees are visiting companies to discover what they need."
They are also expanding their overseas presence. After dispatching a branch manager to Vietnam last year to prepare for the establishment of a branch, they are planning to set up a branch in Germany in the first half of this year. President An said, "We hold a global strategic meeting every month attended by overseas branch managers, encouraging activities. As a result, last year's sales increased by 26%, recording the first operating profit," and emphasized, "While expanding overseas branches, we are also planning various projects, such as public development assistance (ODA) projects to establish local testing and certification infrastructure in emerging countries."
