ICONS joins the “A Battery Deal for Europe” pledge
Press Release -
By signing the pledge, ICONS supports the Battery Deal’s four interdependent pillars (Innovate, Produce, Buy and Secure) to accelerate battery innovation from research to market.
The pledge is part of “A Battery Deal for Europe”, co-created by RECHARGE and BEPA, which calls for coordinated European action to revive and strengthen the battery value chain. It supports the vision of developing a competitive, resilient and sovereign European battery ecosystem, able to anchor Europe’s industrial renewal, climate leadership, and strategic autonomy.
In line with the mission of helping research create real-world impact, ICONS has signed the pledge following the publication of the report “Catalysing Battery Innovation – Driving Impact Across Europe’s Battery R&D Ecosystem”. The report offers a strategic view of how Europe’s battery ecosystem is evolving and what it takes to translate research into outcomes.
“By signing the ‘A Battery Deal for Europe’ pledge, ICONS strengthens its commitment to connecting knowledge, innovation and policy discussion across the full research-to-market journey. Our report is part of this effort, providing evidence to support strategic choices and accelerate responsible deployment across the battery ecosystem”, says Elisabeth Schimd, Chief Development Officer at ICONS.
Key findings from the report
- A tougher global landscape: competition is intensifying, price pressure is rising and production remains highly concentrated. China is expected to account for 80% of global battery manufacturing. At the same time, market dynamics point to potential oversupply with knock-on effects for pricing and the business sustainability of new entrants.
- Europe’s opportunity depends on selective scaling: with EU plans revised and 2030 demand projected at 800–1,300 GWh , industrial choices will need to be realistic, targeted and value-chain driven.
- Circularity is becoming strategic: return volumes, end-of-life lithium-ion batteries plus production scrap, are projected to rise to 270 kt by 2030 (from 100 kt in 2025) , turning recycling and material recovery into a strategic pillar as much as an environmental one.
- Innovation impact requires proof: faster validation, comparable metrics, and performance testing under real-world conditions are critical to make solutions transferable to industry.
- Bridging the lab-to-scale gap is decisive: access to pilot infrastructure, data, testing cycles and qualification pathways often slows progress and must be addressed to accelerate deployment.
- Technology pathways are broad, but competitiveness is the filter: from solid-state and sodium-ion to advanced BMS, digital twins, AI-enabled manufacturing, recycling and second-life, leadership hinges on manufacturability, cost realism and regulatory readiness.
- Two enablers underpin competitiveness: sustained cost competitiveness across the value chain and a strengthened skills base for industrial deployment.
Download the full report “Catalysing Battery Innovation” to learn more: https://www.icons.it/battery-innovation/
