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Manufacturing Solutions using NextMaterials in Advanced Battery Systems 

According to a study from the Fraunhofer Institute ISI the European battery production capacity should increase tenfold from 124 giga watt hours tot 1,5 terawatt hours by 2020. To reach this goal there is a need for a next generation of smart and sustainable materials.A major challenge lies in scaling up battery innovations from prototyping to complete production: e.g. safety, processing requirements of specific battery materials and integration with cases.The aim is a permanent collaboration between innovation centres on both sides of the border to scale up of the production of next-generation battery systems using innovative materials. To this end, the partners will exchange existing methods and protocols and develop new German-Dutch upscaling programs.The pilot lines and laboratories required for this are currently being developed at the Fraunhofer FFB, Westphalian Wilhelms-Universität in Münster (WWUM) and the Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for Advanced Manufacturing at the University of Twente (FIP). These infrastructures are already being financed. The Lighthouse partners focus on the development of a joint service portfolio in which their know how and pilotlines are combined and cross-border available&nbsp;OrganisationFFB in Münster shall tranfer new battery concepts and production technologies (TRL 5 – 6) to serial production (TRL8 -9). &nbsp;This way FFB creates the conditions for the reproducible scaling up of innovations at the level of the product (battery cell) and the process (factory technology).&nbsp; With the MEET battery research center at its core, WWUM will work on topics ranging from materials research, cell design, cell analysis, and molecular level characterization to life cycle analysis and supply chain research.&nbsp; FIP in Enschede focuses on the challenges of production. The activities are focused on developing innovative solutions around Manufacturing Systems, Digital Twinning, Computer-Aided Engineering in Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing, AI in Manufacturing and flexible assembly of battery modules and packs.&nbsp; FFB and WWUM bring their knowledge of technical requirements of battery cells to their production and assembly activities at FIP. There is a strong link with lighthouse 1, whose partners are testing composite batteries. &nbsp;