04/27/2021 15:10:00 CEST, Reutlingen Manz's “Lithium Battery Factory of the Future” project is funded as part of the European Commission's IPCEI “EuBatIn” | Manz Italy receives further EU funding in the mid double-digit million-euro range | Total volume of funding for the Manz Group thus in the three-digit million-euro range
Manz AG, a globally active high-tech engineering company with a comprehensive technology portfolio, today received official notification from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) and the Baden-Wuerttemberg State Ministry of Economics for funding in the amount of approximately 70 million euros. The award is part of the Important Projects of Common European Interest (“IPCEI”) to promote research and innovation in the battery value chain. A total of eleven German companies will receive subsidies for their projects, with Manz AG playing a central role as a mechanical engineering company. With the project known as “European Battery Innovation (EuBatIn)”, twelve EU member states will provide a total of up to 2.9 billion euros in funding for companies in the respective countries in the coming years. Manz Italy will also receive funding in the mid-double-digit million-euro range.
The “European Battery Innovation” is an ambitious project with the aim of developing new technologies and processes that go far beyond the current state of the art and will enable major improvements in terms of performance, safety and environmental protection. The project covers the entire battery value chain, from the extraction of raw materials, through the development and production of battery cells and modules, to recycling and disposal in a circular economy. In this way, the project contributes to strengthening an industry that is of strategic importance for the future of Europe, especially regarding clean and low-emission mobility.
Martin Drasch, CEO of Manz AG, comments: “The official awarding of the EuBatIn grants is an immense opportunity for Europe, Germany and Manz AG. Business and politics are now in the unique position to build a competitive battery industry in Europe. Thanks to our overarching expertise in numerous relevant areas, Manz AG acts as an important link in the European battery market. Manz is one of the few European engineering companies that already has extensive experience in the entire value chain of lithium-ion battery production. With our 'Lithium Battery Factory of the Future' project, we intend to develop highly efficient machines and processes for the fully automated production of next-generation lithium-ion batteries. Accordingly, we are also proud that we will play an important role in the further development of this key industry in Europe.”
In order to be able to make an effective contribution to the establishment of a sustainable and competitive battery industry in Europe, Manz AG will receive funding of around 70 million euros for developing projects at its Reutlingen location over the next six years. Funding in the mid-double-digit million-euro range has also been granted for the location in Italy. Of the expected market potential of several billion euros in the field of cell assembly, a significant part is to be covered by the European mechanical engineering industry in the future. To achieve this goal, on the one hand, process costs will be reduced through innovative processes and the use of Industry 4.0 technologies. On the other hand, high productivity and energy efficiency as well as optimized material and space requirements will significantly increase the sustainability of battery production. To enable the production of variants and multiple formats at low cost, the battery production of the future will also be modular and flexible.
Manz will use its good starting position to strengthen the competitiveness of European machinery and equipment suppliers in cooperation with its European partners from the IPCEI network, and to secure a significant market share in the future segment of the battery industry.
Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, Thomas Bareiß: “With the battery IPCEIs, the battery value chain in Europe continues to take shape. This is not only about cell production, but also about components such as battery housings or the production equipment for batteries. With its IPCEI project ’Lithium Battery Factory of the Future’, Manz AG intends to develop highly efficient machines and processes for the fully automated production of generation 3 and 4 lithium-ion batteries. A project like this makes us proud: The company is opening the doors to new business fields – this secures value creation and employment at the location, especially in times of technological change.”
Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister of Economic Affairs of the State of Baden-Wuerttemberg: “Battery technology is an important key technology for the future that will be indispensable in all areas of industrial value creation. It is our goal to meet around 30 percent of the global demand for battery cells from German and European production by 2030. Baden-Wuerttemberg should also take a leading position in this field and an important key position along the entire value chain. Manz's IPCEI project brings us a big step closer to this goal.”