On the 5th of May 2026, the RENOVATE project held its Clustering Workshop:  “Circular batteries: Pathways for an integrated value chain in Europe” in Milan. Organised by LOMARTOV, D&C leaders, together with INSTM, the project coordinator, and hosted by AFIL at Innovhub SSI facilities. The workshop welcomed 58 participants onsite and 26 online: experts, policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to learn and discuss the European battery value chain, with a strong focus on circularity, sustainability, and EU regulation.

EU policy perspectives and regulatory developments on batteries

The first session was moderated by Eliana Quartarone, our project coordinator, which featured three keynote speeches from: Martina Orefice, Scientific Policy Support for Critical Raw Materials, Joint Research Centre (JRC); Joan Gonzalez Fabra, R&I Policy Officer from Batteries European Partnership Association (BEPA), and Margherita Moreno, Permanent Researcher ENEA, SET Plan IWG Batteries co-chair. The speakers provided valuable insights into the EU Batteries regulation, current state of play, and how regulatory frameworks are shaping the future of battery research, innovation, sustainability, and circularity across Europe.

Showcasing innovation across EU battery projects

The spotlight then moved to EU large-scale battery clustering initiatives in which RENOVATE is actively involved, including Battery 2030+ and the Cluster Hub. Further details on these initiatives are available in our Clustering section. During this session, 8 projects showcased their innovations and objectives towards battery circularity: AUTOMAT, CICERO, CIRCUBATT, GR4FITE3, RESPECT, RENOVATE, RHINOCEROS, and BATMASS, the latter also addressing broader aspects of the battery value chain.

Additionally, we encouraged you to contribute to four ongoing Cluster Hub surveys, designed to support policy development and skills in the battery sector: