Proudly hosted by the Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC), delivered by Innovate UK, in collaboration with its delivery partners, The Faraday Institution (FI) and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).
The evening brought together stakeholders from across the public and private sectors to explore the transformative impact the challenge has had on the sustainable development of the UK’s battery industry.
The event, underscored the critical need for a sustainable UK battery industry, one underpinned by relentless scientific and innovative endeavours that deliver cost-effective, high-performance, durable, safe and recyclable batteries.
The FBC, initiated in 2017, has played a pivotal role in unlocking opportunities across the UK and beyond, driving progress that was celebrated during this momentous occasion.
Speakers
Keynote speakers underscored the significance of sustained innovation in the sector. The speakers included:
- the host Sir Jeremy Wright MP
- Indro Mukerjee, CEO of Innovate UK
- Tony Harper, Challenge Director of the FBC
The evening’s highlight came from inspiring and passionate flash talk speakers who shared compelling success stories about the remarkable achievements they have forged in the UK’s battery sector.
Through these talks, attendees gained valuable insights into the real-world impact and opportunities that Innovate UK, through the FBC, are continuing to help unlock. The flash talk speakers were:
- Dr Georgina Gregory, Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellow, University of Oxford
- Dr Ian Campbell, CEO at Breathe Battery Technologies
- Dr Sai Shivareddy, CEO and Co-Founder, Nyoboltx
Shaping our future
Indro Mukerjee, CEO, Innovate UK, emphasised the immense value that the FBC holds for the UK’s future sustainable economy, highlighting the £700 million in private investment unlocked so far through the £118 million Innovate UK collaborative research and development funding opportunities.
He reiterated UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) commitment to driving innovation, facilitating collaboration across diverse industries, and convening communities of research, business, talent, and investors to shape our future.
Defining the UK’s electric future
Tony Harper, Challenge Director for the FBC, showcased the key impacts that the challenge has delivered since 2017.
He touched on how continued support for a long-term, sustainable UK battery industry will define the UK’s electric future. This will enable us to delivery against net zero targets, power green growth, create over 270,000 high-value jobs by 2040, and secure economic prosperity.
Faraday Battery Challenge
The FBC continues to champion this sector through its £610 million UKRI Challenge Fund investment, delivering a mission-led, research and innovation program that spans ‘lab to factory’ development.
With a focus on cutting-edge research and national scale-up infrastructure, the FBC aims to address market failures in road transport decarbonisation and attract investors to the UK’s battery industry.
The FBC, in collaboration with its delivery partners, The FI and the UKBIC, is actively building an ecosystem that supports industry growth and ensures UK prosperity.
Indro Mkerjee, CEO at Innovate UK said:
Net Zero is a very important strategic domain for Innovate UK. Part of the essence of Net Zero is to be able to have a world-leading battery industry here in the UK and it is essential for us to support that endeavour.
We bring together an ecosystem which links start-ups, scale-ups and many other businesses into such a sector to create this industry here in the UK.
Further information
For those eager to delve deeper into the FBC and its ongoing mission, additional information can be found at: FBC.
The momentum generated during this parliamentary reception sets the stage for further collaborations and breakthroughs in innovation as we collectively journey towards a sustainable and electrifying future.
Top image: Credit: Innovate UK