Recently, I had the opportunity to chair and speak at the Excellence in Manufacturing Processes & Technology of Battery Cells & Systems conference in Barcelona, a three-day event that brought together industry leaders, innovators, and experts to discuss the future of electric vehicle and energy storage battery manufacturing. From cutting-edge technologies to sustainability initiatives, the conference covered a wide range of topics essential for shaping the next generation of gigafactories.

In this post, I’ve pulled together the key insights, inside jokes, and highlights that made this event both informative and fun. Whether you’re deep in the world of battery production or just curious about what’s next, this summary will give you a taste of what’s happening on the forefront of energy innovation.

Every battery gigafactory starts with the “right concrete,” right Janis Oslejs and PrīmX?

Well actually, when you’re planning out your next factory, make sure to reach out to The PAC Group (Stephen Dudley and Thomas Stanley ) BEFORE you get started so you don’t run into all the problems everybody else does…

They’ll also help with regulatory compliance, but you should definitely detail out your personal use case with Rebecca Bliklen from Ramboll as she can walk you through all the policy and legislation that matters in Europe. Oh, and don’t forget to stay up to date with everything going on with the “battery passport”—thanks Pau Sanchis Matoses from Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited for giving us the latest scoop.

Following legislations in Europe is complicated, but “hands up” if you’re from the US, because it’ll be much easier to access funding and follow battery policies, right Johan Bracht from McKinsey & Company ?

If there is one thing we all want to recommend you to be more successful in the long run, it is building up your DATA ecosystem from the very beginning. “Battery threading” might just be the approach you need, something you can learn more about from Manuel Terranova and Peaxy, Inc. .

Every data point you gather from your battery lines, using online measurement and control systems like SCANTECH ’s, can feed into this data stream and supercharge your quality processes. Thanks, Julia ANGELIN for the examples on how to detect defects and ensure geometry accuracy.

And since setting up that data infrastructure is most of the battle, you’re in the perfect place to sprinkle in some AI magic. Need pointers where to start with artificial intelligence? Reach out to me as I am your trusted “expensive consultant”.

So, with your data in place, after you’ve taken a good hard look at your sustainability practices (be “honest with yourself,” as David S. Verner, RA from Gresham Smith would say), let’s talk innovation!

Ever thought about improving contamination control? DREV and Thomas Tingelöf have something novel for gigafactories and recycling facilities, because we’re losing valuable particles that are also safety concerns—so why not capture them with something better than a mop?

Speaking of water (mop) and safety, don’t forget to include your sprinkler system from the start. Guy Watson, IRMCert, GIFireE and Reliable Automatic Sprinkler Co., Inc. are here to test out how your system needs to be designed, especially during formation steps where protection is key.

A phrase you might not expect to hear at a battery conference? “Veggie-based carbon”. Thanks to Thomas Haentjens and DESOTEC for your beautiful presentation, giving us a great overview of how to stay environmentally compliant while recycling activated carbon.

On the topic of recycling, thank you Rajapandian Rajagopal and Verkor for highlighting the different business models of how a third party recycler can work together with a gigafactory – or should they be one?

Now, let’s dive into battery production. You can get a great start by checking out the Battery Atlas shared by Jessica Schmied from PEM RWTH Aachen University .

Electrode production stands out as one of the trickiest process steps. Matthews Engineering and Thomas Hackfort will be your hands-on guides with all the technical know-how you need—plus, you get the German charm for free. And if you need your rollers refurbished fast to avoid downtime, Stefan Heßeling and Alwin Göring are your guys.

While we’re talking electrode production, why not be daring? 8inks pitched a novel “multi-layer curtain” technology that lets you coat multiple layers in one step. Thanks Paul Baade and Riccardo Rodighiero for showing us your super flexible approach!

UKBIC might just be the place to test all this innovation. I’ll definitely be stopping by to take Dr Sreedhara Sarma CSci‘s battery manufacturing course and learn more about how academia and industry are coming together on some really exciting projects.

And hey, every conference needs someone to freshen things up—enter keynote speaker Dr. Angelika Berger-Sodian, who left us all inspired and ready for what’s next!

All in all, it was an absolute pleasure to chair and speak at the “Excellence in Manufacturing Processes & Technology of Battery Cells & Systems” conference in Barcelona last week. Huge thanks to TBM Group and Filip Kontevski for organizing such an impactful event!