The Department for Business and Trade has announced a £452 million investment in the Battery Innovation Programme, part of the UK’s Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan.
As a key pillar of the government’s industrial strategy, the funding aims to fast-track battery research, innovation and manufacturing scale-up – reinforcing the UK’s global leadership in clean energy and advanced manufacturing through 2030 and beyond.
The programme is designed to foster cross-sector collaboration in emerging and next-generation technologies. Through technology transfer and investor partnership funding, it will connect academic researchers with UK industry to drive commercial impact. The investment will also stimulate growth, attract inward investment in gigafactories and supply chains, and create high-quality jobs.
It builds on the UK’s world-class battery research capabilities to optimise battery technologies – making them cheaper, higher-performing, fully sustainable, and recyclable. It also aims to secure sovereign capabilities in next-generation chemistries such as solid-state, lithium-sulfur and sodium-ion.
Valentina Gentili has been appointed as the new Battery Innovation Programme. With over 20 years of experience in lithium-ion battery innovation and automotive R&D, she previously served as vice president of Global R&D at Agratas, where she led international teams across the UK and India to advance next-generation energy storage solutions and align technology strategy with commercial goals.
“I’m excited to join the government’s Battery Innovation Programme at such a pivotal time for the UK’s battery sector,” she said. “Advancing battery technologies is essential to achieving our net zero ambitions, and I look forward to working with the exceptional team and our partners to drive innovation and deliver real-world impact.”
Image: The Battery Innovation Programme is to receive £452 million for battery research, innovation and manufacturing scale-up. Credit: Yevhen Roshchyn/Vecteezy.com
