Despite more than 200 years of development of batteries, the physical limits of battery performance are far from being reached. The complexity of physio-chemical processes inside batteries render any development strongly dependent on a proper description and monitoring of the inherent evolution and interaction of all materials involved in the functioning of an electrochemical cell. It can be said that rarely any progress in a technology where all basic processes are understood did depend so much on characterization than electrochemical energy storage systems. The mean figures of merit (specific energy per mass, volume or cost unit, cyclability) can all theoretically be substantially improved, under the condition of a proper understanding of where and how their limits are reached in today’s industrialized systems. This underlines how much this important branch of our technological future depends on novel and accessible characterization techniques. Given this grand challenge, access to advanced characterisation solutions for the EU industry will be key to accelerate innovation and reduce the large cost share of materials. However, several bottlenecks are preventing access by companies to novel techniques, to which TEESMAT brings a comprehensive response by leveraging European strengths from 11 Countries and facilitating access to physical facilities, capabilities and services implementing novel characterisation solutions with unprecendenteed capability & performance. Instrumental to this is the launch of a sustainable Open Innovation Test Bed in which qualified public/private partners will demonstrate high-value services for materials advanced characterisation on industrial cases in the value chain of electrochemical energy storage systems. A strong EU community will be built up to propel the continuity of the initiative beyond TEESMAT with a viable, business driven and lean model of operation to create a market for advanced characterisation services, ultimately.

Battery technology emerges as a key solution for cutting carbon dioxide emissions across transportation, energy, and industrial sectors. Nonetheless, traditional research methods for developing new battery materials have typically depended on an Edisonian approach, characterised by trial and error, where each phase in the discovery value chain is sequentially reliant on the successful execution of preceding steps. Development and optimization of novel batteries is a process that spanned around a decade. To face this challenge, it is necessary to accelerate the discovery and optimization of next-generation batteries through the development of materials and interface acceleration platforms. The FULL-MAP project aims to revolutionize battery innovation by developing a materials acceleration platform that amplifies human capabilities and expedites the discovery of new materials and interfaces. This pivotal initiative focuses on automating laboratory operations and conducting fast, high-throughput experiments. It integrates AI and machine learning-accelerated multi-scale and multi-physics modeling, supporting intelligent decision-making. FULL-MAP's comprehensive, modular approach encompasses the inverse design of materials, autonomous orchestrated production via both traditional and novel synthesis routes, and extensive high-throughput characterization methods. These methods span ex-situ, in-situ, operando, on-line, and post-mortem analyses at various levels, from material to cell assembly and testing. It simulates the entire battery development process, from material design to battery testing, considering environmental and economic factors. By integrating computational and experimental methods with AI, Big Data, Autonomous Synthesis, and High-Throughput Testing, FULL-MAP aims to fast-track the development and deployment of next-generation materials and batteries, significantly advancing sustainable battery technology.

Safe and legal global transport is essential to human welfare, but it demands that customs authorities implement security regulations with a special focus on illicit goods. To enable enforcement of regulations tackling illicit goods trafficking, customs authorities have expressed their need for portable, affordable, non-intrusive, reliable screening technologies aiming to facilitate on-site and rapid inspections. The current technologies are mainly based on X-ray screening, but have its limitations in detecting illicit goods, are very expensive and the process is time consuming. This makes that currently less than 5% of the containers may be inspected, which is undesirable for customs authorities and society. In the METEOR project, the consortium will develop a prototype of a portable and versatile air sampling-based screening system. This will enable customs administrations worldwide to rapidly and reliably inspect for the presence of illicit goods. The METEOR technology will provide a new concept of cargo screening detector with a highly efficient air sampling technique and the ion mobility multidetector sensing technology. The METEOR analyser relies on a very innovative concept of a multi-detector differential mobility analyser (DMA), that classifies molecular ions based upon their electrical mobility. This generates a chemical fingerprint of the samples, and after the processing with non-targeted screening techniques, it is possible to accurately classify and detect the threats. The focus will be on the detection of illicit drugs, but also explosives and other substances. The goal is to develop the METEOR technology up to TRL7, and validate it in the operational environment. This is done by the four customs administrations (The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Ireland) involved in the project, that cover some of the main ports in Europe.

LOTER.CO2M aims to develop advanced, low-cost electro-catalysts and membranes for the direct electrochemical reduction of CO2 to methanol by low temperature CO2-H2O co-electrolysis. The materials will be developed using sustainable, non-toxic and non-critical raw materials. They will be scaled-up, integrated into a gas phase electrochemical reactor, and the process validated for technical and economic feasibility under industrially relevant conditions. The produced methanol can be used as a chemical feedstock or for effective chemical storage of renewable energy. The demonstration of the new materials at TRL5 level, and the potential of this technology for market penetration, will be assessed by achieving a target electrochemical performance > 50 A/g at 1.5 V/cell, a CO2 conversion rate > 60%, and a selectivity > 90% towards methanol production with an enthalpy efficiency for the process > 86%. A significant increase in durability under intermittent operation in combination with renewable power sources is also targeted in the project through several stabilization strategies to achieve a degradation rate of 2-5 Hz) to electrical current fluctuations typical of intermittent power sources and a wide operating range in terms of input power, i.e. from 10% to full power in less than a second. Such aspects are indicative of an excellent dynamic behaviour as necessary to operate with renewable power sources. A life cycle assessment of the CO2 electrolysis system, which will compile information at different levels from materials up to the CO2 electrolysis system including processing resources, will complete the assessment of this technology for large-scale application. Field testing of the co-electrolysis system in an industrial relevant environment will enable to evaluate the commercial competitiveness and the development of a forward exploitation plan.