Lithium battery manufacturer A123 Systems LLC (A123) has appointed Patrick Hurley as chief technology officer.
Hurley previously worked for power management company Johnson Controls’s power solutions business unit and was the industrial contact between Johnson Controls and the US Department of Energy’s research partnership, the Joint Center for Energy Storage.
At A123, Hurley replaces Mujeeb Ijaz and is to lead the research and development (R&D) division of A123 as well as to integrate the company’s battery development at its operations in China.
The A123 R&D division focuses on collaborative business models for innovation in the lithium-ion industry. The company plans to move the R&D towards a more cross-developmental department.
Hurley holds a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry and completed several years of post-doctoral research at the California Institute of Technology.
“Patrick’s experience and relationships in the market, including the low voltage sector, will serve the company well as we accelerate our development of a more diverse technology portfolio” said Jason Forcier, CEO of A123 Systems.
A123 recently acquired staff and technology from battery start-up Leyden Energy.
In 2012, A123 filed for bankruptcy. Johnson Controls was among the bidders to acquire the company’s assets, but lost out to the Wanxiang Group, which remained as a parent company of A123.
