Investments in Battery Research and Innovation: Ensuring the Future Competitiveness of the European Battery Industry

On behalf of energy storage community, EASE and 11 other industry associations have published a Joint Letter to the European Commission on the importance to continue to invest in battery research and innovation under the Horizon Europe programme.

The programme of the European Battery Alliance has been supported by strong commitments to battery R&I by both European Union and industry under the BATT4EU Partnership under Horizon Europe. The European Union sets out to invest €925 million under the BATT4EU over the course of the Horizon Europe programme. However, this industry investment alone is not enough to create a truly European ecosystem, catching-up behind Asia and America and preparing technology leadership for the next decade. To develop key battery technologies in Europe which will enable a multitude of mobile and stationary applications which will contribute to the energy transition, we need at a minimum the current R&I budget to remain intact.

It is important that the European Union also stands to the commitments signed in the Partnership agreement, to support technology development at different TRL level, and to strengthen the message of their strategic importance to the energy storage community, investors and developers.

This will also :

• Safeguard European competitiveness
• Expand demand and diverse solutions
• Deliver on the targets of the Batteries Regulation and Critical Raw Materials Act

We urge the European Commission to champion the cause of continued investment in battery research and innovation. By doing so, we can fortify Europe's position as a global leader in battery technologies, stimulate economic growth, create high-quality jobs, and contribute to the green transition that is essential for our planet's well-being.