NC Power Accuses SK ecoplant of Stealing Core Technology, Files Report with Intellectual Property Office
"AI Solution Announced Just 43 Days After Contract Refusal," Claims NC Power
Three Official Notices Sent... SK ecoplant Denies Misappropriation
NC Power, a small and medium-sized enterprise specializing in solutions for incineration power generation facilities, has filed a report against SK ecoplant with the Ministry of Intellectual Property, accusing the company of violating the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act (Unfair Competition Prevention Act).
On September 10, NC Power announced that, on September 2, it submitted an administrative report to the Ministry of Intellectual Property regarding SK ecoplant's alleged unfair competitive practices.
NC Power claims that, during the process of technology verification and contract negotiations, SK ecoplant received access to its core technical ideas. Afterward, SK ecoplant allegedly cut off business dealings and proceeded to develop its own in-house solution and file a patent using these ideas.
According to the complaint, SK ecoplant requested technical cooperation from NC Power in February 2021 to expand its eco-friendly business and improve the efficiency of incineration facility operations. From February to May of that year, the two companies held business negotiations over a period of about three months to introduce NC Power's technology at SK ecoplant's facilities.
During this process, at SK ecoplant's request, NC Power collaborated on tasks including on-site technical inspections, selecting sensor locations, reviewing data maps, and designing the architecture for core data collection. These efforts were part of the technology verification (PoC) process and contract performance work.
However, on May 26 of the same year, SK ecoplant refused to sign the contract, citing NC Power's "temporary tax payment deferral" as the reason. According to NC Power, just 43 days later, on July 8, SK ecoplant publicly announced that it had developed its own "AI-powered eco-friendly incinerator solution."
Between January and March 2025, NC Power sent three official notifications to SK ecoplant, raising issues of intellectual property theft and infringement. SK ecoplant, however, denied NC Power's claims of intellectual property misappropriation.
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A representative of NC Power stated, "This is a textbook case of technology theft, in which a large corporation absorbs and monopolizes ideas provided by a highly skilled SME. We will pursue legal action to the end in order to reveal SK ecoplant's unlawful conduct and to protect the legitimate intellectual property rights and technological value of SMEs."
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