Blog of Fraunhofer ISI

The global supply of essential raw materials for battery production is closely linked to geopolitical dependencies and the market dominance of individual global companies. The focus is particularly on market structures, geopolitical influences, production capacities and security of supply.

An Introduction to AI powered Automated Competency Analysis: How can you tell which innovative technology areas a company focuses on?

Support programs and strategies vary greatly in some cases when compared internationally. This blog post compares initiatives by leading industrial nations to promote electric mobility. Of particular interest are the different approaches taken by countries to support industry, which are categorized into three dimensions: market incentives, charging infrastructure, and the future of the combustion engine.

Universities and public research organizations (PROs) are a central source of innovation in Europe. Translating the knowledge generated at universities and PROs into market applications, however, often proves challenging. A key instrument for knowledge and technology transfer from research to industry is academic patents. Fraunhofer ISI has developed a new method to make these academic patents measurable, enabling a better understanding of technology transfer from universities and PROs.

Almost three quarters of industrial CO₂ emissions in the EU are generated during the production of process heat – a huge and largely untapped potential for decarbonisation. Technologies such as heat pumps and the direct electrification of industrial furnaces can replace the use of fossil fuels in industry. It is precisely this electrification of industry that the EU Commission is promoting in a new pilot auction with a budget of one billion euros. The auction rules (Terms and Conditions) have now been published. Fraunhofer ISI is closely involved in the design of the auction. With scientific evidence and extensive experience, we are supporting the development of an instrument that will enable funding to be used in the most straightforward, effective, cost-efficient and technology-neutral way possible.

How can approaches from the electricity sector help to master the challenges of water scarcity? Our interdisciplinary team has examined the potential of innovative solutions beyond sectoral boundaries. We show new perspectives that open up for the water sector.

The recycling of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) will play a key role for Europe in order to gain ac-cess to strategic raw materials. In addition to scale up existing pilot projects, announcements of new plants and the cancelling of recycling projects have been observed for around a year. This blog post provides an update on an article from August 2024 and discusses the latest developments.

Mini- and microenvironments have the potential to make battery cell production more sustainable. These concepts are still a research topic. However, industrial activities are also increasing, with many of the players coming from Germany and Europe. An analysis of patent activities and players shows the research hot spots and geographical hot spots of this emerging technology.

Announced production capacities in Europe amount to more than two terawatt hours per year by 2030. This exceeds the expected demand. In addition, recent years have shown that it is very unlikely that all announced projects will be realised. For this reason, Fraunhofer ISI has developed a methodology that can be used to determine the probability of realisation of battery production announcements with an assessment of the likelihood of implementation for battery production projects.

The market for lithium-ion battery materials is rapidly evolving worldwide. What the USA and the EU are doing to counter China’s dominance and why overcapacity does not necessarily ensure secure supply chains.