European battery project honoured

The European research project "MARBEL", in which THI played a key role, has been honoured with the "Factories of the Future Award 2026" in the "Best Research and Development Project" category. The award recognises particularly innovative research projects that combine technological developments with sustainability and social benefits.

Recognition for sustainable battery research: Maria Violeta Vargas Parra and Daniel Koch accepted the award on behalf of THI for the EU project “MARBEL”, which developed more resource-efficient and recyclable battery systems for electric mobility (Photo: THI).

The "MARBEL" project ran from January 2021 to March 2025 and was dedicated to the development of sustainable high-performance batteries for electric vehicles. The focus was on a modular battery system that is easier to assemble, repair, reuse, and recycle. The aim was to reduce the environmental impact of vehicle batteries and, at the same time, extend their service life.

Within the project, THI was responsible for testing and validation as the work package leader. Together with international partners from research and industry, the consortium worked on making Electromobility more resource-efficient and integrating the principles of the circular economy more strongly into battery development.

One of the most important innovations is the use of up to 60 per cent recycled aluminium from end-of-consumer waste. This can save up to 777 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per battery system. The concept is complemented by solutions for ultra-fast charging and an intelligent battery architecture with wireless battery management and an AI-supported digital twin.

The project was coordinated by the Eurecat Technology Centre. In addition to THI, the consortium included Fraunhofer IWU, SINTEF, Stellantis, FICOSA, AVL, and other international companies and research institutions.

Further information on the project can be found at MARBEL, the project homepage - MARBEL H2020.

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