On 11 November 2026, the Cluster Hub “Materials for Batteries from European Resources” will participate in Battery Innovation Days 2026, bringing together results from seven EU-funded research and innovation projects working across the battery materials value chain.

The Cluster Hub will contribute to the session “Which Place for Mining, Refining, and Recycling in the Circular Life of Batteries?”, taking place from 11:30 to 12:30 at Stockholmsmässan in Stockholm and accessible online.

Representing the Hub, Álvaro Manjón Fernández, from TECNALIA Research & Innovation and coordinator of RHINOCEROS and LiCORNE, will introduce technical progress from participating projects and their different approaches to European battery materials production and recovery.

The presentation will feature developments from seven initiatives addressing different parts of the battery materials value chain:

RHINOCEROS – Advancing battery recycling technologies, from automated dismantling and pre-treatment to electrolyte recovery, metal extraction and the validation of recovered materials. The project has progressed towards pilot-scale operations, including a newly built hydrometallurgical pilot plant.

LiCORNE – Developing lithium recovery and refining processes for European ores, brines and secondary resources. Three pilot routes are undergoing optimisation and validation at TRL 5, with preliminary results demonstrating progress in extraction and purification technologies.

GR4FITE3 – Working towards a European graphite supply chain for lithium-ion battery anodes. The project combines natural and recycled graphite, develops purification and regeneration processes, and investigates their use in new anode materials.

CICERO – Developing circular hydrometallurgical processes for recovering and refining nickel, cobalt and manganese from tailings and intermediate materials, with the objective of enabling European production of materials for NMC cathodes.

LITHOS – Developing processing and refining technologies to produce battery-grade lithium hydroxide from European hard-rock resources, including deposits in Finland, Portugal and France.

EXCEED – Investigating the recovery of additional critical metals and valuable industrial minerals from European hard-rock lithium resources, aiming to reduce waste and improve the overall use of mined materials.

INERRANT – Developing safer and more recyclable lithium-ion battery components, including advanced electrodes, separators and electrolytes, while progressing towards larger battery cell prototypes and investigating recycling and second-life solutions.

Together, these projects illustrate how different technologies and resource streams can contribute to European battery materials supply, from mining and refining to recycling and reuse.

Established in 2022, the Cluster Hub has grown into a collaborative community connecting more than 100 organisations involved in battery raw materials and related technologies.

Its activities include joint workshops, exchanges on specific technical challenges, the identification of collaboration and exploitation opportunities, and contributions to policy discussions.

For researchers, these exchanges offer opportunities to compare processes, methodologies and lessons from technology validation. For industrial stakeholders, they provide a view of emerging technologies, their maturity and the challenges that remain before wider deployment.

Battery Innovation Days offers a valuable setting for these conversations, bringing together people working on different stages of the value chain.

© visual: Battery Innovation days 2026 LinkedIn account