Press releases

Münster continues to emerge as an international hub for battery research: 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 Memorandums 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.

In recent years, Münster has developed into one of Europe’s leading battery hubs. Jochen Ott, Chair of the SPD parliamentary group in the North Rhine-Westphalia State Parliament, and Sven Frenck, SPD candidate for the State Parliament in Constituency III in Münster, got a firsthand look at the contri-bution made by the Fraunhofer Institute for Battery Cell Research and Pro-duction (FFB) during a visit to the Münster-Amelsbüren site. Dr.-Ing. Florian Degen, head of the Production Technology Department at Fraunhofer FFB, guided the guests through the “FFB PreFab” research production facility and provided insights into industry-oriented battery cell production.

Startups are considered drivers of the energy transition. A study by the University of Münster and Fraunhofer FFB now shows that battery startups are emerging primarily in areas where technological expertise is in demand but capital requirements are still manageable. Startups are particularly well-represented in advanced materials, specialized components, and cell manufacturing. By contrast, significantly fewer startups are emerging in more capital-intensive areas of the value chain, such as raw material extrac-tion, recycling, or second-life applications. Even where startups do emerge, the transition to industrial-scale production often remains a major hurdle. For the study, the research team analyzed more than 400 new battery companies worldwide. The results were published in the journal „Energy Strategy Reviews“.

By 2030, the volume of end-of-life batteries and materials to be recycled is expected to triple. At the same time, the complexity of return streams is increasing, for exam-ple due to different battery types, designs, and chemical compositions. A joint study by the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB, the Institute of Business Chemistry at the University of Münster, Porsche Consulting GmbH, and Volkswagen AG shows that, for recycling companies, the key priorities now are to scale up existing recycling processes in an economically viable manner and to pre-pare in a timely manner for the significantly more diverse return streams of the fu-ture. The results have now been published in the world-renowned journal “Nature Energy.”

Münster. Batteries made in North Rhine-Westphalia - innovative, sustainable, and climate-friendly: Since 2024, "FFB PreFab", an open research factory, has been driving forward industry-oriented battery cell production. Now, the Fraunhofer Institute for Battery Cell Research and Production in Münster is visibly taking shape.

The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB is once again strengthening the transfer of research into industrial applications: The institute’s third spin-off project is already in the starting blocks. To this end, Professor Achim Kampker is moving from the institute’s leadership to the newly formed company and will focus in the future on building it up to produce semi-finished products and battery cells in close collaboration with Fraunhofer FFB. Prof. Jens Tübke and Prof. Simon Lux will continue to lead Fraunhofer FFB.

From now on, a field in Hartmannsbrook, Amelsbüren, will no longer be used solely for grow-ing grain: a new agri-solar plant will also generate solar power on the site. Mayor Tilman Fuchs, along with representatives from Stadtwerke Münster and Fraunhofer FFB, gathered at the solar park for the official commissioning. “This project shows what is possible when a city works together on its future. Business, agriculture, Stadtwerke, and citizens are all pulling together here and demonstrating their ability to shape Münster’s future,” emphasized Mayor Tilman Fuchs.

Industrial battery cell manufacturing has become a key strategic issue for Europe’s competitiveness. Against this backdrop, Institute Director Prof. Simon Lux will discuss key challenges and prospects for European battery cell manufacturing with representatives from industry and politics at the world’s leading industrial trade fair. In addition, Fraunhofer FFB will demonstrate how applied research, digital production concepts, and connected factory solutions accelerate the transfer of research results to an industrial scale.

With the SIB:DE ENTWICKLUNG funding project, the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) is launching the largest German consortium to date dedicated to sodium-ion battery technology. Twenty-five partners from academia and industry are collaborating to develop a sustainable, safe, and cost-effective alternative to lithium-ion batteries. The focus is on the production of large-format, market-ready cells as well as the assessment of recyclability. The goal is the rapid transfer of research results into industrial applications.

Researchers used AI-supported patent analysis to show how strongly battery technologies build upon one another. The findings suggest that industrial and innovation strategies must account for these technological dependencies far more rigorously.

In European battery cell production, large-scale cleanrooms and dry rooms create significant cost disadvantages compared to Asian competitors. The startup initiative Syvairo addresses this challenge with a patented intralogistics solution known as a mobile mini-environment, achieving a reduction in energy consumption of more than 50 percent. With funding approved under the EXIST Research Transfer programme of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the spin-off from Fraunhofer FFB is now transferring this technology into industrial application, paving the way for competitive battery production “Made in Germany.”

In Münster, a significant milestone has been reached in the commissioning of the first research factory “FFB PreFab” (1st construction phase): The Fraunhofer Research Production Battery Cell FFB has produced its first electrically functional lithium-ion battery cell. This is the first time that a continuous process chain has been realized using exclusively European plant technology, from electrode production to charged cells.

On the occasion of the status meeting of the project “FoFeBat” (short for “Forschungsfertigung Batteriezelle”), the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB welcomed its project partners as well as representatives of the funding agencies in Münster on November 25 and 26, 2025. The two-day meeting took place for the first time at the main site of Fraunhofer FFB in Münster-Hiltrup. The focus was on the exchange regarding the current status of the FoFeBat project, the progress of the PreFab ramp-up, as well as insights into various research projects and the further development steps on the way to the “FFB Fab”.

In Münster-Amelsbüren, Stadtwerke Münster has begun construction of an agri-photovoltaic system. In the future, it will generate clean solar power for the Fraunhofer Research Facility for Battery Cell Production (FFB) on 13.2 hectares of agricultural land.

The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB and the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen University invite you to the first “Battery Production Days” (BPD) in Münster on October 21 and 22. The conference and trade fair, which is expected to attract around 250 participants, will alternate between Münster and Aachen in the future.

Minister Neubaur, Minister Brandes, State Secretary Jungk and representatives of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft lay the foundation stone for the second construction phase of the Research Fabrication Battery Cell.

A team led by Prof Simon Lux has analysed the future energy demand associated with the EU's goal of strengthening local battery supply chains in Europe. According to their projections, Europe will have to generate significant amounts of energy for local battery cell production.

In February 2026, the eleven-day university certificate course “Innovationen Batterietechnologie: Batterieproduktion & Nachhaltigkei” will be launched for the first time – a joint continuing education program by FH Münster and the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB.

According to a recent study by Fraunhofer FFB and the University of Münster, sodium-ion batteries are on the verge of industrial mass production. They already offer a viable and sustainable alternative, especially for applications with lower energy density requirements. Expected material optimizations could lead to sodium-ion batteries also being used in electric vehicles in the coming years.

A research team from the University of Münster, the Fraunhofer Research Manufacturing Battery Cell facility, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (USA)has analyzed different strategies for handling end-of-life batteries from electric vehicles, using California as a case study. The findings show that repurposing used batteries as stationary energy storage systems is more effective in reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the long term than immediate recycling. Especially in countries with a high share of renewable energy, second-life battery use, such as for power grid stabilization and improved integration of solar and wind power, holds significant potential.

Lithium is an essential raw material for the production of modern batteries used in electric vehicles, smartphones, and laptops. In the current white paper “Battery Raw Material Lithium,” Fraunhofer FFB examines global lithium deposits and industrial extraction processes, highlights ecological impacts, and identifies potential for sustainable production and recycling strategies.

Start-ups in the field of renewable energies are seen as a key driver of the energy transition. In 2024, 1.2 billion euros in venture capital was invested in German energy start-ups, more than in any other technology field. A research team from Fraunhofer FFB and the University of Münster has investigated the factors that determine the success of entrepreneurial initiatives in this field, the hurdles they encounter and how investments can be translated into a measurable climate impact.

The Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB has started the new “KOOP” project together with the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University and mixing technology specialist “hs·tumbler”. The aim of the project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space, is to accelerate the industrialization of innovative production and battery technologies. For the next three years, the partners will deal with the systematization of collaboration between innovative companies or research institutions and the Fraunhofer FFB on the basis of a specific use case.

Fraunhofer FFB has developed solutions for the planning of future battery factories together with the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen University and ten industrial partners from Germany and abroad. As part of an international consortium study, strategies have been developed to help overcome currently known challenges in the design of new gigafactories.

The battery technologies of the future will play a central role in the energy and mobility transition. To investigate global competition in this field, a research team from Fraunhofer FFB and Cambridge and the University of Münster compared patents and innovation strategies from different countries on next-generation battery technologies for electric vehicles.

Fraunhofer FFB and Kerkhoff, part of Interpath have formed a strategic alliance to support companies in the cost-optimized procurement of battery cells. The core of the cooperation is a jointly developed cost modeling system that brings transparency to complex price structures. The alliance offers industrial customers systematic preparation and implementation of demanding supplier negotiations and provides concrete solutions for maximum efficiency at the lowest cost in development and planning processes for products and production.

Fraunhofer FFB will be exhibiting for the first time this year with its booth at Battery Show Europe, the largest trade fair and conference for advanced battery manufacturing and technology. From June 3 to 5, 2025, visitors in Stuttgart will have the opportunity to learn all about the latest developments in plant engineering, sustainable battery technologies, and the industrialization of innovative product and production processes.

The construction of the “FFB Fab” marks the beginning of the second construction phase of the large-scale research facility in Münster-Amelsbüren. Modern production and research facilities covering an area of 20,000 square meters will be created, enabling industry-oriented production research and development in the gigawatt range. Completion of the construction phase is scheduled for the end of 2027. At the same time, the research operations are being set up in close cooperation with the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). The development of the research production facility for battery cells (FFB) as a central element of a technologically advanced and competitive battery value chain in Germany and Europe is thus entering its final phase.

Digital solutions for battery cell production play an important role in increasing efficiency and ensuring quality in production. The Fraunhofer FFB has started the three-year “TRAICELL” project with several partners from research and industry. The project, funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, is concerned with the traceability of crucial data and with artificial intelligence to optimize battery cell production.

A comprehensive energy and mobility transition requires innovative, technology-driven solutions along the entire value chain of batteries and battery technologies. The 17th edition of the international conference "Kraftwerk Batterie – Advanced Battery Power", taking place from April 2 to April 3, 2025, in Aachen, will provide new insights into these developments. As an English-language networking platform, the conference at the Eurogress Congress Center brings together experts from research, development, and application, offering cross-industry insights into the latest advancements and innovations.