The deadline of March 28, 2024 for submitting new project proposals for "Research and development of battery technologies for technologically sovereign, competitive and sustainable battery value chains" was canceled at short notice by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). This deletion and the as yet unclear funding for battery research for 2025 and the following years further exacerbate the planning uncertainty for research institutions and are steps in the wrong direction.
The German Chemical Industry Association (VCI), the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), the Competence Network Lithium-Ion Batteries (KLiB) and the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association (ZVEI) share the great concern that the planning uncertainty is jeopardizing the development of a technologically sovereign, internationally competitive ecosystem in the strategically important future technology of batteries in Germany.
Battery technology has the greatest market growth
According to a study conducted by Frost&Sullivan in 2020, battery technology is the most important future technology of the 21st century. Of all the technologies compared, it has the greatest market growth and at the same time the greatest effect on the growth of many other industries. an enormous influence on Germany's competitiveness as a high-tech location.
Pre-competitive cooperation between companies and research institutions is an essential basis for subsequent competitive research and development. Without strong pre-competitive research, Germany cannot achieve a strong position in the strategically important technology field of batteries. In addition, all industries involved in battery production (chemical industry, mechanical and plant engineering, cell manufacturers, etc.) and companies for whose products batteries are a central element (EVs, trucks, drones, e-bikes, stationary storage systems, power tools, hearing aids, etc.) have an immense need for skilled workers.
Industry associations call for secure research funding
The VCI, VDMA, KLiB and ZVEI are calling for a clear signal to be sent in the ongoing budget talks for reliable, predictable and long-term research funding in the context of the BMBF's umbrella concept for battery research.
"If Germany wants to be a player in this field, then we are blocking our path to the future with the planned cuts in battery research," says Gunther Kellermann, Managing Director of the ZVEI Batteries Association. And Hartmut Rauen, Deputy Managing Director of the VDMA, points out: "Global competition doesn't think in terms of budget years, but in terms of the technological excellence of strong, reliable battery research!"