“MUST Battery School” – International Cooperation Meets in Twente
Internationally renowned battery experts from Stanford University (USA), the University of Twente (Netherlands), MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster and Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS) at Forschungszentrum Jülich met in Twente to exchange ideas.
17 March 2025 – Battery experts of international renown came together at the University of Twente from 5 to 6 March for the “MUST Battery School” to exchange ideas on current challenges in energy storage for the energy and mobility transition. “MUST” stands for the Münster, Twente and Stanford locations – Helmholtz Institute Münster (HI MS) of Forschungszentrum Jülich, the MEET Battery Research Center of the University of Münster, the University of Twente (Netherlands) and Stanford University (USA) are involved.
Along the Value Chain
At the start of the two-day conference, Prof. Dr Will Chueh (Stanford) spoke about insights into the ageing of lithium-ion batteries. Further topics related to advanced battery technologies and battery systems followed. These included sustainability in materials and production processes, recycling, safety and the requirements for batteries for electric passenger aircraft. Day two of the conference was dedicated to next-generation batteries, batteries for high-performance applications, battery production and the circular economy.
The discussions covered almost the entire value chain of an energy storage device. “This is what makes our trilateral meeting particularly valuable for all participants,” explains Prof. Dr Martin Winter, scientific director of the Helmholtz Institute Münster and the MEET Battery Research Center. He launched the collaboration in 2023 to bring together the diverse expertises of the three locations.
Expertise of Helmholtz Institute Münster
Scientists in the group of PD Dr Gunther Brunklaus contributed the findings of their work with the “Dynamic Nuclear Polarisation (DNP) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)” device. In particular, this enables a precise investigation of the solid-liquid interphases that influence the charging rate and lifespan of a battery. The group also focused on polymer and hybrid electrolytes.