VARTA AG is expanding its research and development capacities for the next generation of batteries. VARTA Innovation, one of the most modern research centers for battery technology in Europe, is being built in Graz, Austria, on a 3,500-square-meter area. Completion is imminent, and full operation is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2024. The focus is on developing high-performance battery technologies, particularly in the field of post-lithium, taking sustainability and recycling into account.
Total investment of 33 million euros
The new research site in collaboration with Graz University of Technology is home to a leading test laboratory for batteries in Europe and has a total investment of 33 million euros, including ten million euros from an Important Project of Common European Interest (IPCEI) project. At the new facility, particular attention is going to be paid to silicon-based electrode development with considerable potential for lithium-ion cells. VARTA Innovation emphasizes its efforts towards sustainable battery technologies, including increased recycling and the reduction of problematic raw materials such as cobalt.
