German battery manufacturer advancing lithium-ion, lithium-sulphur, and graphene-based energy storage from lab to production scale.
VARTA Microbattery is a German battery manufacturer specializing in the development and production of lithium-ion cells, microbatteries, and advanced energy storage systems. Within H2020, they contribute manufacturing expertise and cell-level engineering to projects exploring next-generation battery chemistries — including lithium-sulphur, aluminium-ion, zinc-air, silicon anodes, and cobalt-free designs. They also bring battery integration capabilities to printed electronics and graphene-based applications, bridging the gap between materials research and industrial-scale production.
Core contributor across SINTBAT (coordinator, silicon-based Li-ion), ECO2LIB (coordinator, Li-ion production/recycling), ALISE (Li-S for xEV), LISA (Li-S for road electrification), and CoFBAT (cobalt-free batteries).
Explored lithium-sulphur (ALISE, LISA), aluminium-ion (ALION), and zinc-air (ZAS) as post-lithium storage technologies.
Sustained participation in the Graphene Flagship across Core 2, Core 3, and the 2D Experimental Pilot Line (2D-EPL), focusing on energy applications.
INNPAPER (smart printed electronics on paper substrates) and BASMATI (scaling nanomaterial inks for printing) demonstrate capability in powering flexible devices.
ECO2LIB (coordinator) targets ecologically viable Li-ion production and recycling; CoFBAT pursues cobalt-free, longer-lifetime cells with efficient recycling.
In the early H2020 period (2015–2018), VARTA focused broadly on exploring alternative battery chemistries — lithium-sulphur, aluminium-ion, zinc-air — alongside manufacturing process innovation such as sputtering, plasma deposition, and electrospinning for membrane separators. From 2019 onward, the emphasis consolidated around graphene integration, sustainable lithium-ion production (silicon anodes, cobalt-free cathodes, recycling), and safety-critical traction batteries for electric vehicles. The shift signals a move from exploratory chemistry screening toward industrialization-ready, environmentally responsible battery systems.
VARTA is converging on green, scalable lithium-ion manufacturing with cobalt-free and recyclable designs — expect future work in circular battery value chains and solid-state electrolytes.
VARTA operates primarily as a specialist industrial partner (12 of 14 projects), contributing manufacturing know-how and cell prototyping to research-led consortia, while stepping into the coordinator role for projects closest to their production core (SINTBAT, ECO2LIB). With 303 unique partners across 22 countries, they maintain an expansive European network rather than returning to the same small group. This makes them an accessible and experienced consortium partner who understands the dynamics of large multi-partner projects.
VARTA has collaborated with 303 unique partners across 22 countries, reflecting deep integration into Europe's battery research ecosystem. Their participation in the Graphene Flagship alone exposes them to hundreds of leading research groups across the continent.
VARTA is one of very few European battery manufacturers active across the full spectrum from fundamental materials research (Graphene Flagship) to industrial pilot lines and production-scale cell manufacturing. Unlike university labs or pure research institutes, they can translate lab-scale chemistries into manufacturable products — a critical bottleneck in Europe's battery supply chain. Their dual track of exploring advanced materials while coordinating production-oriented projects (ECO2LIB) makes them a rare bridge between TRL 3 research and TRL 7 industrialization.
