The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), and Humboldt University of Berlin (HU) have now officially inaugurated the Berlin Battery Lab (BBL).

At the new research platform, BAM, HZB, and HU are jointly developing and testing resource-efficient battery technologies with a focus on sodium-ion batteries. Together, they are designing new materials, researching innovative cell chemistries, and manufacturing battery prototypes. The Berlin Battery Lab’s research infrastructure is also open to external partners from academia and industry and is intended to shorten the path from research to application.

In recent years, Berlin has emerged as a leading hub for battery research. In particular, sustainable alternatives such as sodium-ion or lithium-sulfur batteries are increasingly coming into focus. Against this backdrop, the Berlin Battery Lab serves as a central platform that strategically brings together the complementary expertise of the participating institutions: BAM possesses internationally recognized expertise in battery safety and the research of innovative energy materials. HU is among the leading academic research institutions in the field of sodium-ion batteries. HZB contributes many years of experience in research on lithium-sulfur batteries and, with BESSY II, has one of the world’s most powerful X-ray sources for investigating battery chemical processes.

With the Berlin Battery Lab, BAM, HU, and HZB are creating a research environment in the capital that systematically brings together basic research, material development, cell manufacturing, and safety testing at a single location. In doing so, the Berlin Battery Lab closes a significant gap on the path to industrial application. Startups and technology-oriented companies in particular are expected to benefit: The lab is open to collaborations and aims to significantly support the development of locally produced, sustainable battery technologies.

At the inauguration, Dr. Ina Czyborra, Senator for Science, stated: “The Berlin Battery Lab exemplifies Berlin’s strength in bringing together cutting-edge research and technological needs in a targeted manner—through close cooperation among three outstanding players and via a direct path from research to application. Battery research is a key technology in the high-tech agenda. The Berlin Battery Lab strengthens Germany’s technological sovereignty by reducing dependencies on critical raw materials and increasing the resilience of key value chains. These national-level tasks can only be tackled through close collaboration—with a clear joint commitment from the states and the federal government, including through appropriate funding instruments. The State of Berlin is very pleased to support this goal and is providing the Berlin Battery Lab with approximately 2.4 million euros from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for the years 2026 to 2028.”

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Panne, President of BAM: “Much of the research on new battery technologies is conducted in Germany, but these innovations are not making their way into practical application quickly enough. This is precisely where the Berlin Battery Lab comes in: We are bringing together research, development, and cell manufacturing in Berlin, while taking safety aspects and regulatory requirements into account to put sustainable innovations into practice.”

As part of the inauguration, Prof. Dr. Philipp Adelhelm (HU)—one of the three scientific directors of the Berlin Battery Lab, alongside Dr. Tim-Patrick Fellinger (BAM) and Prof. Dr. Yan Lu (HZB)—was awarded a Wilhelm Ostwald Fellowship by BAM. Named after Nobel laureate Wilhelm Ostwald, the award recognizes Adelhelm’s contributions to the physical chemistry of batteries, particularly in the field of sodium-ion technology. The fellowship facilitates in-depth scientific collaboration between HU and BAM and strengthens interdisciplinary exchange within the Berlin Battery Lab.