Two research institutions have made Münster a globally renowned location for battery research: ten years ago, MEET Battery Research Center of the University of Münster (WWU) was founded, five years later, the Helmholtz-Institute Münster (HI MS) of Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ). Around 150 guests were greeted yesterday (18 September) at the double jubilee celebrations, including high-ranking representatives of city, state and federal politics.

The event was opened by greetings from the Mayor of Münster, Markus Lewe, the Minister for Culture and Science of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen, the Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. Michael Meister of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and Prof. Dr. Jens Tübke, the Head of the Applied Electrochemistry Department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology, head of the MEET Advisory Board and current CEO of the research fab in Münster.

Afterwards the hosts, WWU rector Prof. Dr. Johannes Wessels and FZJ board member Prof. Dr. Harald Bolt, addressed greetings to the guests of the festivities, which were accompanied by the musical duo "West in Peace". "An example for the direct technical implementation of scientific results in a field of the future that is highly relevant for our society and an outstanding focus of our interdisciplinary research: with a high level of third-party funding, strongly networking and internationally respected", Prof. Wessels underlined the importance of battery research for Münster as a science location. In his welcoming address, Prof. Bolt emphasized: "We are looking here at an enormous success story for Münster as a research location and also for Forschungszentrum Jülich. The signs are good that this will also be continued in the coming ten years".

With his speech, MEET co-founder Dr. Gerhard Hörpel invited the guests to take a look into the future: "30 years of success story of lithium storage - How will it continue in the next decade?". No trivial question, because battery research and industry in Germany are preparing intensively for the establishment of a battery cell production that should be competitive worldwide.

Prof. Dr. Martin Winter, scientific leader of MEET and founding director of HI MS, then summed up the development of battery research in Münster. The anniversary marks a special year for battery research in Münster: "Ten years ago MEET was founded, five years later the Helmholtz-Institute and now the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft is setting up research manufacture for batteries", says Prof. Winter, "I am curious to see what battery research in Münster will have in store for us after another five years".

An opportunity for nostalgia was offered to the guests, among them many long-standing cooperation partners, friends and sponsors of the research institutions, during a poster session: 17 poster walls presented highlights, milestones and also personal perspectives of MEET and HI MS employees from the last ten years. On the 2009 poster, visitors were able to find an excerpt from a newspaper report in the Westfälische Nachrichten on the founding of MEET: "When Winters calculation is right, the name of Münster will in future be associated with modern car drive technology". The review of the developments of the last ten years at the anniversary leaves no doubt: The calculation has worked out.

O-sounds of guests

Markus Lewe, Mayor of Münster:
"Since its foundation, the MEET Battery Research Center and the Helmholtz-Institute Münster have played a significant role in ensuring that Münster is highly recognised as an innovation laboratory in the international science and research scene. Battery research supplies the technologies of the future par excellence. The city of Münster will continue to do everything in its power to live up to this reputation. With MEET and the Helmholtz-Institute, we all have good prerequisites for shaping the future and its opportunities".

Isabel Pfeiffer-Poensgen , NRW Science Minister:
"MEET and the Helmholtz-Institute Münster have laid the foundation stone for Münster to be the centre of excellence for battery research in North Rhine-Westphalia and far beyond. Without the outstanding work of Prof. Martin Winter and his staff at both institutes, the decision in favour of Münster as the location for research manufacturing of the battery cell would have been impossible. I am sure that MEET and the Helmholtz-Institute will continue to provide important impulses for the further development of the battery in the coming years".

Dr. Michael Meister, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF):
"With the implementation of the 'Battery Research Factory' roof concept, we are taking a big step towards realising batteries and battery cells 'Designed and made in Germany'. Münster plays an important role here".

Milestones

More than 70 patents and 900 publications

The MEET Battery Research Center (Münster Electrochemical Energy Technology) of the WWU, which was founded in 2009, currently brings together 140 employees from various scientific and engineering disciplines in basic research and industrial application. The building of the MEET Research Center covers approximately 2,500 square meters of floor space. Around 21 million euros in funding were provided by the WWU and federal and state ministries. The research projects are also supported by the University of Münster, various federal and state ministries, the European Union and the German Research Foundation (DFG).

MEET scientists cooperate closely with the Helmholtz-Institute Münster (HI MS). This institute was founded in 2014 and today unites 75 employees at the three locations Aachen, Jülich and Münster under one umbrella, who research on novel electrolyte systems and their application in advanced battery systems. The research is supported by funding from the EU, federal and state ministries and industry.

Within ten years, the MEET/HI MS scientists have presented their research results in more than 900 publications, produced more than 70 patents and patent applications and received around 60 awards.