Forum | FBF 2023

european economics team recently took part in the prestigious 4th Future Battery Forum held on November 27-28th in Berlin.

This forum is a major event that unites the entire battery value chain – from cross-industry players and users to battery system & cell manufacturers and suppliers.

european economics played a role both as a sponsor and an active participant at the 4th Future Battery Forum, engaging deeply with the intricacies of public funding essential to drive forward the ambitious goals within the battery industry in Europe.

Europe has set very ambitious targets for the electrification of transportation and intermittent renewable energies. These require extensive use of electric batteries. This is why battery production has become a strategic issue for the European Union, which seeks to reduce its dependence on Asian battery and materials imports. Massive public funding must be mobilised across the battery value chain to achieve this goal.

It is thus crucial for the EU to develop an innovative and competitive European battery industry to ensure its economic sovereignty and achieve its environmental objectives. The battery industry received significant public funding in 2019 and 2021 through the IPCEI on Batteries and the IPCEI EuBatIn, two major collaborative projects to which 12 Member States contribute 6.1 billion euros for around 60 companies across the entire battery value chain – including raw and advanced materials, the design and manufacture of cells, modules and systems, and finally recycling/refining.

In March 2023, Europe reinforced its batteries action plan, positioning them as one of the key technologies of its Net-Zero Industry Act. The Critical Raw Materials Act, on the other hand, reflects the European Union’s intention to support upstream investments in the batteries value chain, aiming to ensure a safe and sustainable supply of critical raw materials.

Lastly, numerous gigafactory projects for batteries are currently under development, funded through aid to R&D projects (up to the first industrialisation), the Temporary Crisis & Transition Framework and the Innovation Fund.

european economics has supported 22 projects in the battery value chain, amounting 7.0 billion euros in public funding.

Powering battery projects: Navigating financing and funding opportunities – Future Battery Forum 2023 from IPM AG on Vimeo.