Berlin Battery Lab: BAM, HZB and HU are conducting joint research on sodium batteries

The Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM), the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU) today officially inaugurated the Berlin Battery Lab (BBL). At this new research platform, BAM, HZB and HU jointly develop and test resource-efficient battery technologies with a focus on sodium-based systems. Together, they develop new materials, investigate innovative cell chemistries, and produce battery prototypes. The research infrastructure of the Berlin Battery Lab is also open to external partners from science and industry and is designed to accelerate the transfer from research to application.

In recent years, Berlin has developed into a leading location for battery research. Sustainable alternatives such as sodium-ion or lithium-sulfur batteries are increasingly coming into focus.

Within this context, the Berlin Battery Lab functions as a central platform that strategically integrates the complementary expertise of the participating institutions. BAM contributes internationally recognized expertise in battery safety and the development of innovative energy materials. HU is one of the leading academic research institutions in the field of sodium-ion batteries. HZB provides long-standing experience in lithium-sulfur battery research and operates BESSY II, one of the world’s most powerful X-ray sources for studying battery-chemical processes.

With the Berlin Battery Lab, BAM, HU Berlin and HZB are creating a research environment in the German capital that systematically combines fundamental research, materials development, cell design and safety testing at a single location. This bridges an important gap on the path to industrial application. Start-ups and technology-oriented companies stand to benefit in particular: the lab is open for cooperation and aims to significantly support the development of locally produced, sustainable battery technologies.

At the inauguration, the Berlin Senator for Science, Health and Care Dr. Ina Czyborra, stated: "The Berlin Battery Lab illustrates Berlin's strength in strategically bringing together top-level research and technological needs – through close cooperation between three outstanding partners and a short path from research to application. Battery research is a key technology on the High-Tech Agenda. The Berlin Battery Lab strengthens Germany's technological sovereignty by reducing dependence on critical raw materials and increasing the resilience of key value chains. These national challenges can only be met through close collaboration – with a clear joint commitment from the federal and state governments, including appropriate funding instruments. The State of Berlin is pleased to support this goal and is providing the Berlin Battery Lab with an additional €2.4 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) between 2026 and 2028."

Prof. Dr. Ulrich Panne, President of BAM: “Many new battery technologies are being developed in Germany, but they are not reaching application quickly enough. This is exactly where the Berlin Battery Lab makes a difference: here in Berlin, we bring together research, development and cell manufacturing while integrating safety considerations and regulatory requirements to help transfer sustainable innovations into practice.”

Prof. Dr. Julia von Blumenthal, President of HU: “Batteries are a key technology for the sustainable energy supply of the future. The Berlin Battery Lab consolidates the expertise of three outstanding research institutions in this field at the Berlin location. The Berlin Battery Lab will span the entire research chain, facilitate collaboration with industry and accelerate the processes leading to practical application. It will create innovations and thus make an important contribution to addressing one of the central challenges of our time.”

Prof. Dr. Bernd Rech, Scientific Director of HZB: “At the Berlin Battery Lab, we combine our diverse competencies to accelerate development and technology transfer to industry. At HZB, we are establishing a new pouch-cell laboratory for sodium-ion batteries and providing state-of-the-art characterization methods at BESSY II.”

During 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), received a Wilhelm-Ostwald Fellowship from 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 enables in-depth scientific collaboration between HU and BAM and strengthens interdisciplinary exchange within the Berlin Battery Lab.