Münster. To kick off the status meeting, Department Head Dr. Saskia Wessel provided a strategic overview of Fraunhofer FFB’s development over the past few months. The focus was on key progress and research topics within the FoFeBat project. These included, among other things, current work on prismatic cell production and in the innovation modules and laboratories. In the afternoon, participants gained insights into the existing research infrastructure and the current construction progress during guided tours of the “FFB PreFab” and the “FFB Fab” construction site.

On the second day of the event, the focus was on the further development of the “FFB Fab.” The project partners reviewed construction progress toward 2026 and the next steps in the schedule. In addition, they discussed further equipment, collaboration with industry on additional production lines, and concepts for the future utilization and operation of the research production facility.

Additional presentations provided insights into current research and infrastructure topics, including the assembly of cylindrical cells and solutions for cleanrooms and dry rooms. During the “Meet the Experts” session, participants were able to delve deeper into specific topics through direct discussions with experts. A joint closing and feedback session concluded the two-day status meeting.

Project Funding

The “Battery Cell Research and Manufacturing” (FoFeBat) project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology, and Space (BMFTR) and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, aims to establish a central research infrastructure for the economical, scalable, and sustainable production of battery cells. This initiative led to the establishment of the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Battery Cell Production FFB, which has been operating as an independent Fraunhofer institute since 2023. As the centerpiece of the FoFeBat project, Fraunhofer FFB enables industry to test new production technologies for current and future cell formats under realistic conditions and to accelerate their transition to industrial application. The project is supported by a strong research alliance: A total of 14 Fraunhofer Institutes are collaborating on the project’s implementation in cooperation with the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen University, the Münster Electrochemical Energy Technology (MEET) group at the University of Münster, and the Forschungszentrum Jülich.