HIPOBAT Workshop in Berlin
Berlin, Germany, 17.06.- 18.06.2025
On the 17th and 18th of June, the HIPOBAT consortium gathered in the VKU Forum in Berlin to discuss the project progress six month after the official kick-off meeting in Paris. The Franco-German research cooperation HIPOBAT works towards the development of high-power solid-state batteries based on optimized materials, cell designs and production processes. In Berlin, recent results on materials, electrode designs, cell concepts, testing, characterization and modeling were reported by the work package leaders and selected early career researchers.
Young scientists were also given the opportunity to meet in focus groups around seven cross-cutting topics, which led to vivid and fruitful discussions among postdocs and doctoral researchers, as well as with senior researchers. The steering committee and representatives from the external French-German industry advisory board met to consult on the status of the project and the next steps.
On the evening of the 17th of June, the French embassy in Berlin invited the HIPOBAT consortium for a round-table discussion on the development of the Franco-German cooperation in the development of the battery sector. Prof. Martin Winter and Dr. Mathieu Morcrette represented the scientific community and the HIPOBAT project, Dr. Peter Lamp and Dr. Asmae El Mejdoubi the German and French industry, respectively. The session was moderated by Sven Rösner, director of the Franco-German Office for the Energy Transition.
The panelists agreed that HIPOBAT should serve as a blueprint for further French-German collaborations and for the reinforcement of the European backbone for cutting-edge research. The energy transition is a central axis of such high-level scientific cooperation between France and Germany. The invited experts also highlighted how crucial it is to support young researchers and basic research, and not to sacrifice the medium- to long-term view in favour of short-term priorities. Fundamental research and foresight are essential to develop innovative solutions in the field of energy storage.
On the second day of the workshop, the initial research results of early career researchers were displayed during two dedicated poster sessions, where authors engaged in detailed discussion with fellow researchers and senior scientists. The meeting ended with a roadmap session deciding the next steps in the HIPOBAT project. On this occasion, the project coordination on the German side was transferred from Prof. Olivier Guillon (Forschungszentrum Jülich) who has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) to Prof. Martin Winter (Forschungszentrum Jülich). The change in leadership will take effect on 15 July 2025. The HIPOBAT consortium thanks Olivier Guillon for his dedication and efforts and Martin Winter for taking over this task.
The next HIPOBAT workshop is going to take place in Amiens, France.
