Münster. The study identifies the positions of different regions (China, Japan, South Korea, Europe and the USA) with regard to their technological priorities and innovation policy strategies. The authors compared future battery technologies for applications with high energy requirements and technologies for applications where lower costs are more important than maximum performance. They conclude that Europe and the USA risk missing the boat in the race for the most promising battery technologies of the future with their innovation policies for energy storage.

The study shows an increasing polarization between Asian countries that are systematically focusing their innovation on future technologies (China, Japan and South Korea) and regions that are primarily concentrating on innovations for existing lithium-ion technologies (especially Europe and the USA). These regions are pursuing different strategic directions: China specifically addresses both requirement profiles, both high-performance batteries with high energy density and low-cost batteries. Japan and South Korea are focusing on high-energy batteries, while Europe and the USA are primarily driving developments along the established lithium-ion value chain.

The scientists point out that the growing global innovation gap between Asia and the West could jeopardize the technological autonomy and competitiveness of Europe and the USA in the long term - both in the area of high-energy batteries and lower-cost alternatives. “Europe and the USA should now rapidly ramp up their investments in future battery value chains and promote knowledge and technology transfer with leading battery developers and manufacturers from Asia,” advises business chemist Prof. Dr. Stephan von Delft from the University of Münster

The quantity and quality of patents provide information about a country's innovation performance. Innovation strategies reflect political priorities and measures such as national funding programs. “Together, they are suitable for assessing geostrategic competition and the positioning of individual countries in future battery technologies,” emphasizes doctoral student and lead author of the study André Hemmelder.