Battery Innovation Days 2024: can Europe create competitive and sustainable batteries?

14 November 2024

On 26-27 November, Barcelona will host the Battery Innovation Days, the leading forum for discussing Europe’s battery research & innovation landscape. The event, at its fourth edition, gathers every year industry leaders, researchers, and policymakers to discuss battery technologies, growth strategies, and sustainability practices in Europe.

Held in Brussels and Bourdeaux in its past editions, this year the event lands in Catalonia’s capital hosted by the Government of Catalonia through ACCIÓ – Agency for Business Competitiveness and its OPTIMA Office. As the global demand for sustainable energy solutions continues to escalate, Catalonia is committed to playing a pivotal role in the development of a robust European battery ecosystem. To date, more than 200 companies, mainly SMEs, work in the battery value chain in Catalonia, generating around 3000 jobs and a revenue of around 690 million €.

Miquel Sàmper, Minister of Business and Labour (Government of Catalonia) commented on the potential that electric mobility has for Catalonia:

“Catalonia has a big stake in the electric mobility sector. We are an industrial region in Europe that has been actively involved in the automotive industry for over 60 years, which is why today our production capacity is immense. We make half a million vehicles per year, which places Catalonia as the main manufacturer of cars in Spain, a country that is now the second largest manufacturer in Europe.”

 

The progress of the European battery ecosystem depends on European and global developments. Over the past year, Europe has woken up to the fact that the mass production of high-quality batteries for a demanding market is difficult. Battery manufacturers, suppliers and OEMs are re-evaluating their strategic decisions to stay competitive. The 2024 edition of the Battery Innovation Days explores these strategic decisions and the innovations that will drive them. Can Europe get ahead in solid-state technology? What is the most credible path for European production of low-cost batteries? And should the EU’s battery policy address the new geopolitical realities?

The event will shine a spotlight on different international players, on EU Projects, and on Catalonia’s excellency: participants will have the chance to visit ACCIO’s booth as well as join the tour of ALBA Synchrotron and IDIADA technological facilities.

This event is a collaborative effort of prominent initiatives—Batteries Europe, Battery 2030+, BEPA, and IPCEI Batteries. Together, they advance battery research, support industry growth, and aim to build a competitive, sustainable battery value chain across Europe.