Global warming, the finite nature of fossil fuels and pollution in our cities have conspired to make renewable energy a European imperative. It is clear that electrical energy storage is a critical issue for the new energy economy and one for which rechargeable lithium batteries, alongside other technologies, has an important potential impact. Although the rechargeable lithium battery, first introduced in 1990, is the most important advance in energy storage in 100 years, it has fallen short in meeting technological demands. Further breakthroughs are sorely needed.

Europe is blessed with a number of internationally leading research groups working on lithium-ion batteries. These have shown that nano-materials have the potential to revolutionize battery design. However, if a substantial leap forward is to be made in performance, research into these complex systems requires that a range of skills and expertise must work together in an INTEGRATED network. Eighteen top research groups (from 7 member states and 3 candidate/associated members), accounting for about 60% of European Li battery research, are keen to merge their efforts WITHIN A VIRTUAL CENTRE to reduce redundancy, ensure complementarity, optimize collaboration to achieve vital research objectives, and share expensive facilities and resources

Success in meeting these challenges will both generate income to fund future networks, and serve to place Europe securely back at the international forefront of energy storage technology.