German-Japanese Cooperation Focuses on Sustainable Batteries

Memorandum of Understanding as a Signal of an Intensified Partnership

Whether lithium-air, lithium-sulfur, lithium-manganese, sodium-ion or all solid-state batteries: The spectrum of next-generation sustainable battery systems is broad. In order to further advance research on these technologies, Helmholtz Institute Münster of Forschungszentrum Jülich and MEET Battery Research Center at University of Münster invited representatives from the German and Japanese battery community to a joint workshop. The aim was to explore opportunities for cooperation and new ideas that should lead to joint research projects.

Combined Expertise for Joint Research Projects

“German and Japanese scientists have been successfully conducting research on next-generation batteries for many years. By bundling our expertise and promoting the exchange between young researchers, we can achieve important results for the development of sustainable battery systems”, said Prof. Dr Martin Winter, Director of Helmholtz Institute Münster and Scientific Leader of MEET Battery Research Center, at the opening of the workshop. The focus was on the development of new and innovative materials, modeling and simulation-supported processes for the development of battery cells as well as various measurement techniques.

© HI MS/Lessmann

“Extensive expertise is required to cover this range of topics,” Winter explained. On the German side, representatives from

  • the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology ICT in Pfinztal,
  • the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden,
  • the German Aerospace Center,
  • the Helmholtz-Institute Ulm/DLR,
  • the Humboldt University of Berlin,
  • the Justus Liebig University Giessen,
  • the Technical University of Braunschweig,
  • the Forschungszentrum Jülich and
  • the University of Münster contributed their expertise.

Japanese battery research was represented by

  • Kansai University,
  • Nagoya University,
  • the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS),
  • Osaka University,
  • Tohoku University,
  • Tokyo University of Science and
  • Yokohama National University.

In addition, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) provided an overview about funding opportunities for joint projects.

Memorandum of Understanding as a Signal for a More Intensive Partnership

The joint workshop was not only a signal for a more intensive partnership between Germany and Japan: Helmholtz Institute Münster, MEET Battery Research Center and NIMS also confirmed the further expansion of their scientific cooperation in the field of next-generation battery research by signing a Memorandum of Understanding.