The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft has inaugurated the new Center for Energy Storage and Systems (ZESS) in Braunschweig. The federal government and the state have invested nearly €50 million euros in the research hub, which focuses on solid-state batteries, cell production, and hydrogen technologies, among other areas.

The centre provides approximately 1,750 square metres of laboratory space and a 450 square metre dry room on a total of around 3,300 square metres. The infrastructure is designed for the development of next-generation solid-state batteries and innovative hydrogen technologies.

The German federal government and the state of Lower Saxony have jointly invested around €49.85 million in the new building. The centre aims to more closely integrate research and industrial application, accelerating the scaling and commercialisation of new technologies.

At the ZESS, the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS pool their expertise. In the battery sector, their approach spans new materials, production processes, sustainability, and the circular economy.

A key focus is on solid-state batteries. The ZESS is meant to not only investigate new cell chemistries and manufacturing processes in the laboratory but also advance their industrial scalability.

“At the Fraunhofer ZESS, we consider the entire process chain – from new materials, through production technologies, and on to sustainability and the circular economy,” said Christoph Herrmann, Director of the Fraunhofer IST and spokesperson for the ZESS. Through combining expertise, the hope is that solid-state batteries and hydrogen technologies will be developed for industrial applications.

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