Today, on October 2nd, 2024, the VERSAPRINT project took a significant leap forward with the first meeting of its Advisory Board. Composed of industry leaders across various sectors, this Advisory Board is poised to provide critical insights and guidance to support the research, development, and future commercialisation of VERSAPRINT’s cutting-edge technologies.
Coordinated by CEA, the Advisory Board includes stakeholders from battery manufacturers, end-users, recycling companies, and specialists in the manufacturing processes that are central to VERSAPRINT. The entities involved in this first meeting reflect a broad cross-section of the battery value chain:
- ACC Automotive Cells Company: Representing the battery manufacturing industry, ACC will guide VERSAPRINT on technology upscaling, ensuring it meets industrial demands.
- Airbus & Turkish Aerospace: Key players in the aeronautics industry, both companies will help shape VERSAPRINT’s battery solutions for aviation applications.
- Torrecid: Specialising in printing technology, they bring unique expertise to VERSAPRINT’s manufacturing processes.
- BMW & Entech Smart Energies: Representing the automotive and transport sectors, these companies provide crucial insights into the compatibility of battery solutions for electric vehicles and buses.
- CRIT Research: As an entity specialised in R&I, CRIT will support VERSAPRINT’s innovation roadmap, helping navigate the evolving battery technology landscape.
The meeting started with a round table where Advisory Board members presented their respective companies and perspectives. Then, the project coordinator Céline Bonnaud shared an insightful presentation on the VERSAPRINT project, highlighting the latest technical advancements and the building blocks (BBs). The session concluded with an engaging discussion, focused on how the Advisory Board’s input could be integrated into the project’s ongoing research and development efforts.
The formation of the VERSAPRINT Advisory Board is a strategic move to ensure that the project’s outputs are not only scientifically robust but also industrially relevant. By leveraging the expertise of prominent players in sectors such as battery manufacturing, aeronautics, and automotive transport, VERSAPRINT aims to align its innovative battery technologies with real-world applications and industrial needs.
This partnership with the industry ensures that VERSAPRINT technologies are developed with scalability and marketability in mind, significantly increasing their chances of success. The advisory board’s insights are especially critical for the generic BBs being developed in VERSAPRINT, which must meet the diverse technical and operational requirements across multiple industries.
This is only the beginning of an ongoing collaboration between the VERSAPRINT consortium and the Advisory Board. Their feedback will be continually sought as the project progresses, especially in the evaluation of public deliverables such as the cell specifications, eco-design recommendations, and decision-making tools for selecting the best battery chemistries and formats.
The presence of major industry players underscores the significant potential for VERSAPRINT technologies to influence future developments in electric aviation. With Advisory Board members representing such diverse yet interconnected sectors, the VERSAPRINT project is uniquely positioned to deliver breakthrough battery innovations that will drive sustainability and safety in the green energy transition.
