Japan, China, and South Korea are leading the global race to commercialize solid-state batteries, with Japan and China currently holding significant advantages in patents, research, and government support.

Japan has filed over 7,000 patents for all-solid battery technology from 2000 to 2023, accounting for more than 40% of global patents, and has invested heavily in R&D through an 18 trillion won ($13 billion) Green Innovation fund since 2020.

South Korea lags behind in scale and support, with fewer patents (3,225) and academic papers, and faces criticism for lacking large-scale demonstration infrastructure, regulatory fast-tracking, and long-term financing despite recent R&D funding increases.

Industry experts suggest South Korea should focus on improving battery quality and reliability and strengthening long-term support systems to overcome current competitive disadvantages.

Japanese companies such as Toyota and Panasonic are leading efforts to develop and commercialize all-solid batteries, with Toyota aiming for mass production by 2030 and targeting commercialization by 2027.

Toyota is collaborating with Idemitsu Kosan to develop pilot and mass production facilities, aiming to enhance battery cost, design, charging speed, lifespan, and energy density by 2030.

Chinese companies like BYD and CATL are focusing on semi-solid batteries as transitional technologies, with BYD planning to commercialize sulfide electrolyte-based all-solid batteries by 2027 and scale production by 2030.

China ranks second in patents with 4,625 filings and invested over 1 trillion won ($830 million) last year in all-solid battery R&D, infrastructure, and licensing, with companies like BYD and CATL actively developing semi-solid and all-solid batteries.