Press releases

At Fraunhofer FFB, the Fraunhofer Battery Alliance, along with the Korea Environment Corporation (K-eco), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), and the city of Pohang, signed two Memoranda of Understanding to deepen their collaboration. The signing took place during a visit by the South Korean delegation to Münster. The goal is to collaborate more closely on the development of new battery technologies, production processes, and recycling solutions.

The battery factory of the future is increasingly digitalized. Simulations play a central role in developing new cells while intelligent sensor systems monitor production in real time. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM are developing methods that enable production processes to be mapped virtually and key parameters to be measured during production. The experts will be presenting their solutions for more stable production processes and higher-performance batteries at the Battery Show Europe 2026.

Solid-state batteries promise greater safety, higher energy density, and new degrees of freedom in cell design. Yet the path from laboratory cell to industrial production is challenging. Laser processes can overcome key hurdles and enable a breakthrough.

Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister of Research, Technology, and Space, explains:“Only those who master battery technology and can also manufacture battery cells competitively will be able to hold their own in international competition. Batteries are indispensable for climate-neutral mobility and energy generation. As a flagship measure of Germany's High-Tech Agenda, the FFB focuses on ”Lab to Fab" – from science to industry. The first battery cell from FFB PreFab therefore marks a decisive milestone for batteries ‘Made in Germany’.“

Battery housings in electric vehicles must be impact-resistant, absorb crash energy, protect against short circuits, and be heat-resistant. Efficient heat dissipation is essential, but cells also need protection from excessive cooling. The housing must resist damage from stones and salt, fit the vehicle’s underbody, add rigidity, and, being lightweight, help increase range. Aluminum foam satisfies these requirements.

An innovative measurement method enables optimized battery management in electric vehicles, helping to make them safer and extend their lifespans. Impedance spectroscopy from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM analyzes detailed measurement data on the battery’s state in real time during operation. This means batteries can also be used for safety-critical applications.

Fraunhofer FEP has developed a new roll-to-roll production process for manufacturing metal-on-polymer current collectors. This technology enables the precise application of copper and aluminum layers onto polymer films to produce current collectors with electrical conductivity and thickness comparable to conventional metal foil-based current collectors. These results provide industry with a valuable basis for optimizing lithium-ion batteries.

To promote the sustainability of electromobility and enhance resource efficiency, upcycling of lithium-ion batteries is gaining increasing importance. Efforts are focused on slowing down material cycles by repurposing used batteries from electric vehicles for new applications instead of transferring them directly to recycling processes.

Today in Münster, a significant step was taken in the research and production of sustainable, resource-efficient battery cells with the inauguration of the first phase of the Fraunhofer Research Fabrication Battery Cell FFB, known as "FFB PreFab". Federal Research Minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister-President Hendrik Wüst, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft President Prof. Holger Hanselka opened the facility, which spans approximately 6,800 square meters of research space. With this launch, Fraunhofer FFB begins research activities at the site, utilizing cutting-edge European machinery technology.

Optimizing batteries, whether for e-mobility or for large storage systems, is one of the most important tasks for industry and science. At the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM, the simulation of battery models has been part of day-to-day business for years. The Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry of Science and Health is now supporting a new project with just under one million euros to model the entire manufacturing process.