The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) and Germany’s Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB have signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to focus on future collaboration between the two organisations.
The MoU was signed during a recent visit to the UK battery manufacturing development facility in Coventry by senior leaders from the Fraunhofer FFB.
The MoU is a first step in assessing the potential for the two international groups to co-operate and work more closely together.
Areas of potential mutual co-operation include joint participation in European research and development of consortia and strategically important projects, the development of a European battery technology roadmap, sharing best practice and experience of cell production, and championing of innovation and technology in battery cell production.
Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, added: “We’re delighted to have signed this landmark memorandum between the two organisations. The MoU sets out our intention for both UKBIC and the Fraunhofer FFB to collaborate more closely together in the future, paving the way for joint pan-European projects to accelerate battery development.”
Jens Tübke, Chief Executive Officer of The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB, added: “UKBIC and Fraunhofer FFB have a common goal, namely, to provide innovations for efficient and sustainable battery cell production for European industry. This is our common basis for future collaboration.”
UKBIC was opened last year by the British Prime Minister, the Right Hon Boris Johnson MP, and the Fraunhofer FFB, which is now under construction, is due to be opened in Münster. The focus of both organisations are on the scale-up of battery technology.
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Photo caption 1:
Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, with Jens Tübke, Chief Executive Officer of The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB, signing the MoU. Also pictured from UKBIC are Anna Ritchley, Director of External Affairs, Colin Mitchell, Business Performance Director, Dr Ahmad Mohsseni, Chief Technology Officer, and from the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB are Dr.-Ing. Florian Degen, Strategy and Corporate Development, Dr.-Ing. Christoph Baum (Digital Factory) and Hendrik Walter (Operatinal Excellence).
Photo caption 2:
Jeff Pratt, UKBIC’s Managing Director, with Jens Tübke, Chief Executive Officer of The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB, signing the MoU.
To view a short video about the signing, please click here – https://www.ukbic.co.uk/ukbic-and-the-fraunhofer-research-institution-for-battery-cell-production-ffb-sign-landmark-memorandum-of-understanding/
For photographs, photography or to arrange an interview, please email richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk or phone +44 (0) 7503 628892
Notes to editors:
The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) is a national battery manufacturing development facility providing battery manufacturing scale-up and facilitating upskilling in the battery sector. The publicly-funded facility welcomes manufacturers, entrepreneurs, researchers and educators, and can be accessed by any organisation looking to scale battery technologies – if that technology will bring green jobs and prosperity to the UK. The state-of-the-art facility – described by the Prime Minister as “a beacon of innovation and ingenuity” – has been developed to support UK industry with development of battery technologies for future electrification.
In addition to funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge through UK Research and Innovation, UKBIC is part-funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority. The project has been delivered through a consortium of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick. UKBIC was created in 2018 following a competition led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre with support from Innovate UK, and opened by the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson MP, in July 2021.