French industrial battery manufacturer contributing cell design, safety engineering, and manufacturing scale-up across lithium, sodium, and solid-state technologies.
SAFT is a major French battery manufacturer specializing in advanced battery systems for industrial, defense, space, and transportation applications. Within H2020, they contribute deep expertise in battery cell design, electrochemistry, and energy storage system integration — spanning lithium-ion, lithium-sulfur, sodium-ion, and solid-state battery technologies. They serve as a key industrial partner bringing real-world manufacturing capability and safety engineering to European battery research consortia, bridging the gap between laboratory materials research and commercially viable energy storage products.
Core contributor across SAFELiMOVE (solid-state lithium metal), SUBLIME (sulfide-based solid-state), HELIS (lithium-sulfur), MODALIS2 (advanced Li storage modelling), and DEMOBASE (battery safety/efficiency).
Participated in NAIADES (Na-ion demonstration for electric storage) and SIMBA (sodium-ion and sodium metal batteries for next-gen storage).
Coordinated DEMOBASE focused on battery safety and efficiency design/modelling; contributed to MODALIS2 (cell modelling, calibration, validation) and SAFELiMOVE (safety-focused solid-state tech).
Participated in OSEM-EV (energy management in EVs), 1000kmPLUS (scalable EV powertrain platform with fast charging), and SUBLIME (EV-targeted solid-state batteries).
Contributed to ECLIPSE developing lithium-sulfur power systems specifically for space environments.
Participated in BIG-MAP, a flagship project building a Materials Acceleration Platform using AI and machine learning for battery development.
SAFT's early H2020 work (2015–2018) focused on established chemistries — lithium-sulfur cells, sodium-ion demonstration, and EV energy management — essentially improving existing battery platforms. From 2019 onward, a decisive shift occurred toward next-generation solid-state batteries (SAFELiMOVE, SUBLIME), AI-accelerated materials discovery (BIG-MAP), and advanced cell modelling (MODALIS2). This trajectory shows SAFT moving from incremental improvements on current technology toward preparing for the Generation 4b battery revolution, with fast charging and solid-state electrolytes becoming their dominant research themes.
SAFT is positioning itself as a European industrial anchor for solid-state battery manufacturing, with increasing investment in AI-driven materials discovery and Generation 4b cell technologies for electric vehicles.
SAFT operates almost exclusively as a participant (13 of 14 projects), joining large research consortia as the industrial battery manufacturing partner rather than leading academic-style research. With 177 unique partners across 24 countries, they maintain a broad European network, functioning as a go-to industrial validator and scale-up partner. Their single coordinator role (DEMOBASE) focused on battery safety — a domain where their manufacturing expertise gave them natural leadership authority.
SAFT has built one of the broadest battery-sector networks in H2020, collaborating with 177 unique partners across 24 countries. Their reach spans the full European research landscape, from university labs to automotive OEMs and energy utilities.
SAFT is one of very few European battery manufacturers with the scale and heritage to serve as an industrial anchor in H2020 battery consortia — they bring real factory floors, not just lab benches. Their technology breadth is unusual: few organizations span lithium-ion, lithium-sulfur, sodium-ion, solid-state, AND space-grade batteries within a single R&D portfolio. For consortium builders, SAFT offers the critical path from research prototype to manufactured product, which is exactly the gap most EU battery projects struggle to bridge.
