Europe and USA in danger: Are Asia innovating battery technology?

Europe and USA in danger: Are Asia innovating battery technology?

Developments in battery technology are crucial for future mobility and the achievement of global climate goals. A study carried out by a research team from the Universities of Münster and Cambridge and the Fraunhofer Battery Cell Research Facility shows that Europe and the USA may be losing out in the competition for innovative battery technologies. This analysis compares the patents and innovation strategies of different countries and highlights the different approaches taken.

The study, published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science, examines battery technologies for electric vehicles and identifies the positions of China, Japan, South Korea, Europe and the USA. While Europe and the USA are concentrating on existing lithium-ion technologies, Asian countries are increasingly focusing on future technologies.

Asian countries are taking the lead

China has not only developed high-performance batteries with high energy density, but also focused on low-cost batteries. Japan and South Korea, on the other hand, are particularly focused on high-energy batteries. The researchers warn of a growing innovation gap between these Asian countries and the West, which could harm the technological autonomy and competitiveness of Europe and the United States. Prof. Dr. Stephan von Delft advises increasing investments in future battery value chains and promoting knowledge and technology transfer with Asian battery developers.

Since 2014, public funding for research and development (R&D) in battery technology has increased dramatically. Funding has doubled or even tripled in recent years. This shows that countries such as the USA, Japan, South Korea and Germany are actively working on developing their own strategies to become independent from international supply chains. In Europe, particularly in Germany, a new umbrella concept for battery research has been presented, increasing the focus on production processes as well as EU policy regarding sustainability and recycling.

Global strategies in comparison

The strategies of the leading countries are different overall, but pursue common goals in terms of climate neutrality and sustainability. Germany aims to become climate neutral by 2045, while other countries are working to reduce their CO2 emissions by 2050 and China is even working on reducing their CO2 emissions by 2060. The following key strategies were analyzed:

• USA: Bipartisan Infrastructure Act und Inflation Reduction Act 2022, mit dem Ziel, internationale Führerschaft in F&E zu gewinnen.
• Japan: Green Growth Strategy, die sich auf Produktionskapazitäten konzentriert.
• Südkorea: Secondary Battery Innovation Strategy, die die Unterstützung der E-Mobilitätsindustrie umfasst.
• Deutschland: Dachkonzept Batterieforschung 2023, mit konkreten Zielen für die Entwicklung von Feststoff-, Natrium-Ionen- und alternativen Batterien.
• China: Fokus auf die Schaffung eines stabilen Binnenmarktes für Elektrofahrzeuge und eine spezifische Batteriestrategie.

International collaboration and adaptation to specific market needs are crucial to remaining competitive in fast-moving battery technology. Researchers from Fraunhofer ISI emphasize that current policy strategies are market and industry-oriented, and they emphasize the need for current, market-oriented approaches to promote battery technology development. This is essential to overcome the challenges in the areas of climate policy and energy supply.