Europe has struggled to compete in the battery industry, with companies like Sweden's Northvolt and Norway's Morrow facing bankruptcy. This has raised concerns that Europe might be falling behind in a crucial technological shift. As more industries move towards electricity, batteries are becoming a major growth area. However, developing new battery products takes a long time and faces tough competition, especially from China.
Some researchers and investors believe the solution might lie in working at an incredibly small scale: the nanometre level.
Nanotechnology for Better Batteries
Christian Rood, CEO of the Dutch tech firm LeydenJar, explains that their work at the nanoscale could impact many industries, despite being a risky venture. LeydenJar uses a method called plasma deposition to create a lighter, more efficient anode for batteries. Anodes are key components in all batteries.
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Start Your News DetoxSilicon is a cheap and effective material for anodes. But pure silicon usually cracks because it expands and contracts when a battery is used and recharged. LeydenJar's plasma deposition technique creates an ultra-thin pure silicon foil that resists cracking. This significantly increases battery life, charging speed, and energy density by up to 50%, according to the company.
Rood calls this a "wonderful invention" that addresses a major problem in battery technology.
LeydenJar plans to start commercial production by the end of 2026. This achievement comes after 10 years of development, showing the significant time and investment needed for "Deep Tech" innovations. The company's factory is in Eindhoven, Netherlands, a city known for computer chip companies like ASML. Rood notes that this connection between semiconductors and batteries gives them a competitive edge, especially in protecting their intellectual property.
Protecting Battery Components
Across Europe, many smaller Deep Tech startups are exploring nanotechnology for batteries. One such company is Powall, based in Delft, Netherlands. Powall develops equipment for nanocoating the powders used in current batteries. This technique also originated in the semiconductor industry.
Roderik Colen, CEO of Powall, explains that their system can improve battery performance. Individual powder granules are measured in micrometres, and the coatings are applied in nanometres using atomic layer deposition. This process can slow down battery degradation, which happens after thousands of uses.
Colen says that new battery materials often offer high capacity or fast charging but lack durability. Powall's protective coatings can make these new materials commercially viable. The coatings are applied precisely using gas and chemical reactions, allowing for flexible adjustments that impact performance.
Neither LeydenJar nor Powall aim to build entire batteries. Both companies have commercial partnerships with customers in Asia. Christian Rood believes that companies like LeydenJar can strengthen Europe's position in the global battery market. He compares it to ASML's role in the semiconductor industry, where it focuses on a critical production step rather than making entire chips. LeydenJar hopes its unique battery anode will give it a similar important role in the supply chain.
Europe's Role in a Global Market
Alexander Brown, a senior analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies (Merics), sees value in Europe having a technologically advanced part of the battery supply chain. This could offer high profit margins. However, he cautions that China is actively working to reduce its reliance on other regions for technology, including niche areas.
Brown notes that Europe has a history of developing high-quality products that find global markets. But he stresses that this shouldn't be Europe's only strategy.
Funding for these specialized fields can be a challenge in Europe. Christian Rood of LeydenJar says that while there is enough financing, the willingness to take risks is different compared to Asia and the US. This means LeydenJar has to combine various funding sources, including government grants, debt financing, support from the European Investment Bank, and private investors. Rood describes this as "hard work" due to the challenging conditions and due diligence requirements from different funders.
Powall's Colen believes Europe, especially the Netherlands, is an "innovation powerhouse." He sees battery technology as an opportunity for the continent to make a significant impact, provided there is an appetite for risk. The battery industry is young and growing rapidly, with new factories constantly seeking the right technology.
Perhaps Europe's future in the battery business lies not in building massive battery factories, but in these smaller, highly specialized technological advancements. As Colen puts it, "small changes make big differences."
