BEPA’s 9th General Assembly: A pivotal decision-making gathering
29 November 2024
The 9th General Assembly of the Batteries European Partnership Association was held on Thursday 28 November 2024, as a hybrid event in Barcelona and online.
On 27 November, BEPA hosted a Gala Dinner, inviting its members to an authentic castle, recognized as part of Barcelona’s artistic heritage. During the dinner, outgoing BEPA Research Vice President, Simon Perraud, Deputy Director at CEA-Liten, was honored with an award. This recognition followed his decision to not seek re-election and acknowledged his important role as Vice-President of BEPA and his continuous support since 2021.
“The battery sector may be under pressure but the participation of the battery community in this Partnership, proves the willingness of the community to work hard and make things better for Europe. “Simon Perraud, Deputy Director at CEA
On 28 November, BEPA hosted the ninth General Assembly with over 120 participants, both online and in person at the Hotel Barceló Sants in Barcelona, Spain. Attendees were welcomed with a video address from Rosalinde van der Vlies, Director at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. Ilka von Dalwigk, Director General of RECHARGE, also provided an update on key developments in 2024, including trends in technology, market dynamics, and regulatory advancements.
Highlight of the meeting was the vote from the General Assembly in favour of welcoming 12 new organisations into BEPA.
During the elections, BEPA members voted for the Executive Board and Association Delegation. The winners for the BEPA Executive Board positions are Michael Lippert, (SAFT) who maintained his role as BEPA President and who has been elected as Manufacturing Representative. Manasa Sridhar (IVECO GROUP) won a position in the Executive Board for Other Applications. Marina Urbina (CEA) and Edel Sheridan, (SINTEF), were elected as BEPA’s Research Representatives.
These were the elected Association Delegation representatives: for the manufacturing position Nicolas Bucher (VARTA), Mark Copley (FAAM) and Bernhard Riegel (HOPPECKE). For manufacturing supply, the votes went to Stefano Saguatti (MANZ). For automotive supply; Paul Schiffbänker (AVL List), for stationary storage to Luigi Lanuzza (ENEL X), Recycling to Kenneth Ekman (Fortum) and research to Kristina Edström (Uppsala University), Oscar Miguel (CIDETEC) and Victor Trapp (Fraunhofer).
Brokerage Event: Following the General Assembly, a Brokerage Event provided an opportunity for 10 selected start-ups and 8 researchers to pitch their innovative battery technologies directly to investors and other stakeholders. The event was supported by the Government of Catalonia, through ACCIÓ, its agency for business competitiveness. The event facilitated valuable connections among participating companies and institutions, creating business opportunities and promoting European collaboration through networking sessions, including coffee breaks where pitchers could exhibit their work and exchange contacts with investors.