Move designed to benefit the industry, increasing global collaboration
Organisers of the world’s premier lead battery innovation conferences have announced the strengthening of their long-standing collaboration, aimed at supporting technical advancement and innovation across the global lead battery industry.
The European Lead Battery Conference (ELBC) and the Asian Battery Conference and Exhibition (ABC), renowned forums for advancing lead battery research and technology, will continue to operate as independent events while collaborating closely to align conference topics, streamline technical programme planning, and enhance the delegate and exhibitor experience.
This collaboration responds to the growing demand for rechargeable battery energy storage and the ongoing need for pioneering innovation. The International Lead Association, through Dr Andy Bush, and the Consortium for Battery Innovation, Dr Alistair Davidson, organisers of ELBC, together with Mark Stevenson, Chairman of ABC, will coordinate program development to ensure both conferences reflect the latest global technological developments and address the most important industry issues. These closer ties will give researchers and speakers a seamless path to present the latest research and development worldwide each year.
The strengthened collaboration also aims to improve the overall delegate experience, encourage broader international participation, and support exhibitors in reaching a global audience.
Speaking on behalf of the organisers, Dr Davidson said:
“ELBC and ABC have a long history of working together to deliver high-quality technical programs for the lead battery industry. By coordinating more closely, we can ensure each event covers the key topics that matter to our global delegates and continue to champion innovation across the sector. Many delegates now attend both events, and this approach will help us further enhance their experience.”
Dr Bush, ILA Executive Director, said:
“ELBC brings together all elements of the lead battery industry — from suppliers and producers to manufacturers and recyclers. Working closely with ABC allows us to understand better delegate priorities and ensure both conferences continue to provide valuable insight and support for the industry.”
Mark Stevenson, Chairman of ABC, added:
“Having this coordinated effort will not only enhance research and development, but will hopefully open the door and attract younger researchers into the industry. We bring a much stronger team to organise these two important events.”
ELBC and ABC will continue to take place on alternate years in September. Following ELBC in Vienna, September 15–18, 2026, the next ABC will be held in Bangkok in September 2027.
News release
17.06.26
Batteries made in Europe must become a strategic imperative according to manufacturers from European companies at the launch of the Consortium for Battery Innovation’s EU roadmap in Brussels.
The Consortium’s roadmap, Sustaining Europe’s battery powerhouse, sets performance targets for the next wave of advanced lead batteries: developed in Europe, made in Europe and recycled in Europe.
Dr Christian Rosenkranz, Chairman of CBI and Vice President of Industry and Governmental Relations EMEA at Clarios, speaking at the launch on June 16, said: “To avoid falling behind, the EU must create a level playing field for all battery chemistries and remain technology neutral. We have a real homegrown success story through the EU lead battery value chain and it’s important to protect what matters in terms of our industrial base by supporting all chemistries. If we don’t do this Europe risks falling behind, and that is something we cannot afford to do.”
Dr Rosenkranz also called on EU policy makers to consider incentives like those available to manufacturers in the United States where tax credit schemes are used to boost domestic investment. “We need to be more focused on boosting made in Europe if we’re to remain globally competitive,” he said.
EU manufacturers joined CBI to launch the EU the innovation roadmap in Brussels, as policy-makers grapple with the need to meet growing demand for energy storage.
CBI’s Executive Director, Dr Alistair Davidson, said: “Only by adopting a technology-neutral approach can Europe secure a competitive and sustainable battery ecosystem that’s fit for purpose in the coming decade.”
He added that advanced lead batteries - which are vital in applications and industries from automotive and back-up to defence and nuclear facilities - are already developed in Europe, made in Europe and recycled as all lead batteries collected at end of life are recycled and used to make new batteries.
CBI members have already met goals and targets set in previous roadmaps. The EU innovation roadmap sets new targets for increasing energy density and cycle life as well as better recharge capability.
Speakers at the roadmap launch included Dr Bernhard Reigel, Director of Research & Development, Hoppecke; Dr Begum Bozkaya, Senior Technical Manager, CBI; Dr James Watson, Director General, European Metals; and Jacopo Tosoni, Deputy Secretary General at Energy Storage Europe.
The roadmap was compiled by CBI’s Senior Technical Director Dr Matt Raiford and Senior Technical Manager Dr Begum Bozkaya.
More information about the Consortium for Battery Innovation’s global research programme can be found at https://batteryinnovation.org. The EU CBI Battery Innovation Roadmap will be made publicly available in the coming weeks.
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Note to editors:
The Consortium for Battery Innovation is a global battery pre-competitive research consortium with offices in Brussels, the United States and the United Kingdom.
For more information please contact the CBI media team on +44 (O)7718 483887
The conference programme for ELBC has been published featuring the latest innovation in lead battery technology, updates on market trends and a broad range of expert speakers from across the global industry.
The 2026 programme – available at www.elbcexpo.org – includes speakers on advanced lead battery research and innovation, with lead battery specialists covering topics from partial state of charge operations, battery and power management, automotive product and test development, to new components for lead batteries and interactive discussions on lead battery fundamentals.
Sessions also include pre-conference workshops on the EU’s Battery Regulation and its significant implications for industry. And a Consortium for Battery Innovation workshop will examine synergies between lead and other battery technologies. As energy storage applications become more complex, no single battery technology can meet every requirement. CBI will explore how lead, lithium-ion, and other battery chemistries each offer distinct strengths and limitations across technical performance, safety, recycling, and overall cost.
The conference takes place at the Austria Center, Vienna between September 15-18. The full programme and registration details can be found at www.elbcexpo.org
Speakers in this year’s ELBC plenary sessions will provide the latest updates on global markets and trends with a comprehensive global battery market outlook from KPMG, and lead market analysis from CRU, together with automotive and industrial battery forecasts and trends. The direction of travel for Asian battery markets will be presented by Leoch’s Dong Li, alongside a “filtered view” of the future battery market from Ray Kubis, chief executive of SiliconJoule.
ELBC’s detailed technical programme encompasses the full range of research and updates on scientific development including:
ELBC’s co-organiser Dr Alistair Davidson, Executive Director of the Consortium for Battery Innovation said: “ELBC brings together experts from across the industry to share all the latest technical knowledge and breakthroughs in lead battery research. And this year’s pre-conference workshop widens our focus to include other technologies as we explore the synergies between chemistries. And with geopolitical events driving a huge increase in demand for battery energy storage worldwide, ELBC will be key to understanding both the market opportunities and the technical developments that will have the most impact in the coming years.”
Dr Andy Bush, co-organiser and Executive Director of the International Lead Association, said ELBC is unique in that it brings together the whole industry, from manufacturers and lead producers to suppliers.
He said: “By bringing together the entire lead battery value chain we help ensure the industry benefits from a better understanding of market and technical trends which will impact in the future. ELBC is a conference organised by the industry, for the industry and this year’s programme comes at a pivotal time with so much change, challenge and opportunity for the lead battery industry worldwide.”
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Note: for more information please contact the ILA/CBI media office on +44 7718 483887 or visit www.elbcexpo.org
Conference dates: September 15-18
Early bird rates available now: book at www.elbcexpo.org
Registration has opened for this year’s premier global technical lead battery conference ELBC, which takes place in Vienna, September 15-18.
The event, co-hosted by the International Lead Association and the Consortium for Battery Innovation, takes place at the spectacular Austria Centre in the Austrian capital, alongside the River Danube. Early bird delegate rates are available now for a limited period.
The conference agenda includes all the latest updates on global lead battery innovation from automotive to energy storage applications plus batteries for motive power, industrial and micro-mobility.
Two workshops covering key topics precede the main conference. A Consortium for Battery Innovation workshop will examine the synergies between lead and other battery technologies, alongside current and future uses of lead batteries. And a second International Lead Association workshop examines the EU’s groundbreaking battery regulation and its implications for the market worldwide.
With keynote and technical speakers from across the global lead battery industry, ELBC’s programme also includes the latest on:
ELBC includes the industry’s largest exhibition of the year, together with a wide range of networking and engagement opportunities, and the spectacular gala evening.
Dr Andy Bush, Executive Director of ILA said: “ELBC is always a much-anticipated event, organised by the industry for the industry. It’s a distinctive opportunity for the global lead battery value chain, from manufacturers to suppliers, to meet and discuss current issues and market trends affecting the industry. Our programme includes well-known contributors bringing all the latest data and updates on global markets and technical trends as well as workshops looking in-depth at important industry issues.
“There will be many networking events and opportunities throughout the conference, including our gala evening in the heart of Vienna.”
Dr Alistair Davidson, Executive Director of CBI, added: “There are many important new technical developments in lead battery research which will be presented and discussed at ELBC. As energy storage applications become more complex, no single battery technology can meet every requirement, and we’ll be exploring more about how lead, lithium-ion, and other battery chemistries each offer distinct strengths and limitations across technical performance, safety, recycling, and overall cost. And we’ll be covering all the relevant issues and identifying where advanced lead batteries can make a difference as market opportunities continue to expand.”
Dr Bush added: “Delegates who register now can take advantage of our early bird rates. Early booking is advised because hotel space in Vienna is in high demand at this time and I would urge delegates and attendees to book early to secure rooms.”
More than 120 expo stands have already been reserved, however a few spaces remain and anyone oping to exhibit this year can reserve via the elbcexpo website. The 2026 ELBC Gold sponsor is Entek, manufacturer of best-in-class battery separators, extruders, and parts.
Silver sponsors:
Bronze sponsors:
A limited number of sponsorship opportunities remain available, please contact the Conference Secretariat for details. To register for the event, or book an expo stand visit: www.elbcexpo.org
Official ELBC media partners:
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Note to editors: For more information, please contact ILA/CBI media office on +44 7718 483887 or email.
ORLANDO, FL — April 29, 2025 Battcon, organized by the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI), is the industry’s benchmark event for real-world application training and the latest critical developments in stationary battery systems. Today, Battcon announced that the IEEE Power & Energy Society (PES) will be the technical co-sponsor for its 2025 event. This marks the first technical co-sponsorship between Battcon and the IEEE Power & Energy Society, expanding the conference’s global reach and technical impact.
Scheduled for Aug. 3–6, 2025, in Orlando, Florida, Battcon brings together engineers, operators, manufacturers and end users to address critical challenges in backup power systems for many different markets like data centers, energy storage systems, utilities, and telecommunications. With IEEE PES involvement, Battcon 2025 will be included on the IEEE Conference Search/Call for Papers website, and conference materials will be eligible for archival in IEEE Xplore®, expanding access to speaker research and technical findings across the global energy community.
“The involvement of IEEE PES as a technical co-sponsor enhances the already outstanding technical content at Battcon 2025,” said Dr. Matt Raiford, senior technical director of the Consortium for Battery Innovation. “Their role in co-publishing and archiving the conference’s peer-reviewed technical papers ensures that our speakers’ contributions are preserved and shared with a global network of power and energy professionals. This partnership strengthens the value of Battcon as a platform for advancing real-world battery applications in critical infrastructure.”
The IEEE Power & Energy Society, the world’s leading forum for electric power and energy innovation, has more than 42,000 members worldwide. Their participation furthers Battcon’s mission to deliver top-tier technical education and drive advancements across grid storage, telecom backup and data center UPS systems.
Battcon, organized by the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI), is where technical expertise meets real-world application. The 2025 event will feature expert-led sessions, pre- and post-conference workshops, an expanded expo, and targeted networking receptions connecting professionals across the stationary battery community. In Battcon’s uniquely independent exhibit hall, attendees can engage directly with leading manufacturers, suppliers and service providers. Learn more at www.battcon.com.
DURHAM, N.C. – Jan 31, 2024 – As part of our continued efforts to support advanced lead battery uptake for energy storage applications, the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI) has joined as Teaming Partner of the U.S. National Consortium for the Advancement of Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) Technologies.
Launched in January 2024, this three-year initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) proposes an independent forum to bring together stakeholders across the LDES ecosystem. The main goal is to promote collaborations to develop and implement strategies necessary to achieve the commercialization of LDES technology within the next ten years.
The power sector is responsible for one third of emissions in the U.S. according to estimates by the U.S. DOE. The transition to carbon-free renewable sources must address the intermittent nature of wind and sun, and LDES is a key option to provide the needed flexibility and reliability to the grid. Batteries are among the most viable storage technologies for shifting excess power produced at one point in a day to another point within the same day (inter-day LDES), or to multiple days in the future (multi-day / week LDES).
The LDES National Consortium is led by Sandia National Laboratories with the support of five other National Laboratories - Argonne, Idaho, National Renewable Energy, Oak Ridge, and Pacific Northwest. The partnership already counts with over 130 Teaming Partners who are working together in Tiger Teams to identify and evaluate challenges in specific focus areas impacting LDES. One key aspect of the Consortium is its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Strategy, leveraging community engagement to ensure that LDES technology rollout brings concrete benefits to underserved communities.
CBI’s Research & Innovation Manager, Dr Alyssa McQuilling, and CBI’s Technical Director, Dr Matthew Raiford, are actively involved in eight of the sixteen Tiger Teams, namely: Technology Development, Evaluation and Testing; Demonstrations and Deployments; Investor Confidence and Finance; Use Case Development; Workforce Development; Reliability and Resilience; Economics and Valuation; Supply Chain and Manufacturing Efficiencies.
"The extensive infrastructure and domestic circularity offer an incredible opportunity for the industry to learn how we can adapt lead battery technology to the needs of LDES."
Dr Matthew Raiford, Technical Director at the Consortium for Battery Innovation
Our experts point out that advanced lead batteries are particularly well suited to inter-day LDES applications. They also see the potential around hybrid long duration systems, combining advanced lead batteries with another technology such as flow batteries to cover both short and long duration response. Dr Alyssa McQuilling said: “There is a lot of opportunity for lead batteries as a part of the solution for long duration storage, and the growth of the industry will require all kinds of technologies to meet the needs of utilities and other consumers.”
“I’m excited by the scale of the project, ranging from technology and use cases to markets and economics all the way to supply chain and workforce development. We are covering every challenge facing long-duration storage and the efforts of this consortium will benefit the energy storage industry beyond just its long duration applications.”
Dr Matthew Raiford said: “The US lead battery industry is uniquely poised to collaborate in this effort. The extensive infrastructure and domestic circularity offer an incredible opportunity for the industry to learn how we can adapt lead battery technology to the needs of LDES. The ongoing efforts from the US DOE LDES consortium will be a hotbed to learn and bring this learning into our industry.”
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Notes to editors
About the Consortium for Battery Innovation
The Consortium for Battery Innovation is the world’s only global pre-competitive research organization funding research into lead batteries for energy storage, motive and automotive applications. For more than 25 years, with its global membership of battery manufacturers, industry suppliers, research institutes and universities, CBI has delivered cutting-edge research pushing the boundaries of innovation in lead battery technology, setting the standard for advanced lead batteries and the next generation of energy storage. For more information, visit our website: www.batteryinnovation.org
Dr Alyssa McQuilling, Research & Innovation Manager, and Dr Matthew Raiford, Technical Director, are available for interview. For more information, please contact CBI’s media contact: Nicola Filizola, nicola.filizola@batteryinnovation.org
Battcon 2024 Miami, Florida, May 14-17
The Consortium for Battery Innovation has been appointed to manage the prestigious Battcon energy storage conference in the United States.
Battcon 2024 takes place in Miami, Florida, between May 14-17 at the Hyatt Regency Miami, with pre-conference workshops taking place on Tuesday May 14 followed by the full conference and trade show.
Battcon is an annual stationary storage battery conference showcasing developments in all battery chemistries which has been held in Florida for more than 25 years. The event, which attracts more than 400 delegates plus exhibitors, acts as a professional development and networking opportunity for the design, selection, and application of stationary, utility and energy storage battery systems.
CBI has issued a call for papers inviting speakers to submit abstracts on potential topics demonstrating new technical enhancements for all battery chemistries for the 2024 event. The conference is an opportunity for manufacturers and users to review the latest trends in stationary storage, including data-centers, telecoms, utility and energy storage applications.
View details and submit your abstract at www.battcon.com. Abstracts can be submitted directly by email to events@battcon.com
The Consortium for Battery Innovation is a global battery research group developing and promoting batteries and battery energy storage solutions.
CBI Director Dr Alistair Davidson described Battcon as a highly-respected industry event adding that CBI would continue to ensure the technical program and exhibition maintained its reputation for excellence.
He said: “We are committed to maintaining this important industry event and ensuring that Battcon continues to develop and grow alongside the energy storage industry. The conference is a significant professional development and educational opportunity supporting all battery technologies and chemistries. We have extensive experience managing technical events and given the exciting opportunities for stationary storage across many applications this conference will remain at the forefront of the green energy transition.”
Curtis Ashton, chair of the eleven-member Battcon technical committee, said: “Battcon is a popular, user-focused conference and as a technical committee we were keen that an organisation committed to battery energy storage should take on its management and future development. The committee felt CBI would be the best option. Its expertise and enthusiasm means that we can look to the event’s continued growth and focus on the rapidly evolving stationary battery industry.”
NEWS RELEASE - 21 November 2023
The ELBC battery innovation conference has issued a call for papers ahead of the event which takes place in Milan, between September 16-19.
Jointly organised by the International Lead Association and Consortium for Battery Innovation, the event’s technical committee is seeking abstracts on all aspects of lead battery technology with a specific focus on:
Dr Alistair Davidson, Director of the Consortium for Battery Innovation, said: “This is always a much-anticipated event for the lead and lead battery industries and we’re looking for high quality submissions that showcase recent innovations and all the latest lead battery research.”
Abstracts can be submitted online by visiting www.elbcexpo.org
More than 1000 attendees are expected at the event in Milan which includes an expo with up to 140 exhibitors from across the lead battery value chain.
About the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI)
For more than 25 years, CBI has delivered cutting-edge research taking lead batteries to a new level for energy storage and automotive applications. With an expert panel made up of the world’s leading battery manufacturers and research specialists, CBI is setting the standard for advanced lead batteries and the next generation of energy storage.
NEWS RELEASE - 17 November 2023
A new call for research proposals to support advanced lead battery innovation for energy storage systems (ESS) has been launched by the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI), the world’s only pre-competitive lead battery research consortium.
We are seeing an unprecedented effort to implement climate targets across the globe, led by the ambitious commitments by the European Union to become climate-neutral by 2050 and by the US to reduce emissions by 50% by 2030. According to Avicenne Energy (CBI’s Market Report 2023), the ESS market is forecasted to grow from 237 GWh in 2022 to 616 GWh in 2030. Batteries stand out as one of the big facilitators of this global shift to clean energy considering any scale of implementation, from industries to residences.
Recent analyses agree that a significant increase in battery demand will occur by 2030. Noteworthy examples are the forecast by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) that cumulative global renewable energy battery storage capacity will increase from 17 GW in 2020 to 359 GW in 2030 and estimates by the International Energy Agency (IEA) showing battery storage capacity for solar power integration only will increase at least five times by 2030. Demand will be so large it cannot be met by one battery technology alone. Such prognoses are a significant opportunity for growth of the lead battery market as a potential technology that can meet all the technical requirements on a mass market scale.
Building on the research priorities and research and innovation pathways defined on CBI’s Technical Roadmap, this call for proposals aims to stimulate projects further demonstrating improvements in lead battery performance for ESS applications. Dr Matthew Raiford, Senior Manager of CBI’s technical program, said: “The growth of the battery energy storage market is a great opportunity for advanced lead batteries, and the industry is committed to showing progress toward batteries that last longer and have higher energy density. CBI’s research program and this new request for proposals will directly contribute to that goal.”
CBI’s open call specifies two work proposal possibilities consisting of a) technoeconomic analyses of lead battery ESS or b) material science studies of failure of lead batteries in ESS. Submission of proposals is open until 22nd January 2024. More information on the desired work and guidelines for proposals is available here.
About the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI)
For more than 25 years, CBI has delivered cutting-edge research taking lead batteries to a new level for energy storage and automotive applications. With an expert panel made up of the world’s leading battery manufacturers and research specialists, CBI is setting the standard for advanced lead batteries and the next generation of energy storage. For more information, visit our website: http://www.batteryinnovation.org
Dr. Matthew Raiford is available for interview. For more information, please contact CBI’s media contact: Nicola Filizola, +32 489 17 76 60; nicola.filizola@batteryinnovation.org
Press release
Brussels, 9 November 2023
A system using advanced lead batteries to power a micro electric tractor tailored to the African market was selected as one of the finalists of the Milken-Motsepe Prize in Green Energy.
This innovative tractor design is being developed in Aftrak, a groundbreaking project funded by Innovate UK. The initiative brings together expertise from the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI), Loughborough University and UK- & Malawi-based charity Tiyeni, and the support of lead battery manufacturer VARTA.
Microgrid solutions for off-grid rural communities have high costs of implementation and maintenance that often cannot be covered by the communities, dissuading infrastructure investments. Aftrak is addressing this challenge by combining a solar energy microgrid with a micro electric tractor to mechanise land preparation. The tractor accelerates the implementation of Deep Bed Farming, an agricultural methodology developed by Tiyeni especially designed for Malawian soils. This system can provide a significant agricultural revenue boost to sustain microgrid-related costs and encourage further energy access investments.
Lead batteries inbuilt in the micro electric tractor play a central role in this green energy system, storing solar energy and providing it during land preparation activities. Dr Carl Telford, member of the Aftrak team and CBI Senior Research and Innovation Manager, said: “This is a very promising application of lead batteries that can bring real positive impact to rural communities. Having the recognition by the Milken Institute and the Motsepe Foundation is an important endorsement of the viability of lead batteries in green energy solutions.”
The Milken-Motsepe Prize in Green Energy is a global competition to reward innovators working to increase access to green, renewable energy in Africa. This year, over 160 teams from 36 countries presented their visionary ideas to the jury.
Selected as one of the five finalists, the Aftrak team will receive $70,000 in funding to further develop and test the system in a live field demonstration in South Africa in February 2024. Aftrak also remains in the competition for the final prize of $1 million, whose winner will be announced in May 2024.
About the Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI)
For more than 25 years, CBI has delivered cutting-edge research taking lead batteries to a new level for energy storage and automotive applications. With an expert panel made up of the world’s leading battery manufacturers and research specialists, CBI is setting the standard for advanced lead batteries and the next generation of energy storage. For more information, visit our website: http://www.batteryinnovation.org
Dr Carl Telford is available for interview. For more information, please contact CBI’s media contact: Nicola Filizola, +32 489 17 76 60; nicola.filizola@batteryinnovation.org
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