Lithium Metal Battery | Northvolt Consolidates R&D Resources, Shifting Lithium Metal R&D from the U.S. to Sweden

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Lithium Metal Battery | Northvolt Consolidates R&D Resources, Shifting Lithium Metal R&D from the U.S. to Sweden

Date：2024-08-20

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Keyword tags： Lithium Metal Battery LMB

Northvolt announced today its decision to transfer the development center for its next-generation lithium-metal battery technology from Silicon Valley, California, to its R&D campus, Northvolt Labs, in Västerås, Sweden. The strategic move aims to consolidate R&D activities by integrating the development of Northvolt's battery product portfolio, which includes lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and lithium-metal batteries, into one location, thereby advancing the industrialization of Northvolt's battery product offerings.

Northvolt Labs R&D Campus in Sweden

Northvolt Labs serves as a platform for battery industrialization, encompassing stages from cell design and sample production to product optimization, validation, and ultimately scaled mass production upon product maturity.

In its statement, the company indicated that the development of lithium-metal battery technology, once transferred to Northvolt Labs in Sweden, will be supported by a world-class team of material engineers, cell designers, and manufacturing experts. The lithium-metal R&D team will collaborate with teams working on cathode active material development, cell manufacturing process development, and global supply chain development, gaining access to more resources. Additionally, this move integrates the lithium-metal R&D department within Northvolt's customer-facing business units, facilitating the application of new technology experience from the company's production system to this field.

To date, Northvolt has been developing lithium-metal battery technology through its Cuberg subsidiary in California. Acquired by Northvolt in 2021, Cuberg is a wholly-owned subsidiary operating in the San Francisco Bay Area, California.

It remains uncertain whether Northvolt's consolidation of the lithium-metal R&D team is part of layoff. However, Northvolt stated that it encourages Cuberg employees to apply for other internal positions that match their skill set, including open positions across Northvolt, such as Northvolt Labs located in Montreal, Canada and Northvolt Ett, or Northvolt North America—a region benefiting from relevant expertise in advanced battery technology.

Shauna McIntyre, CEO of Cuberg, will continue to hold a leadership role within Northvolt North America, working to expand Northvolt's presence in the region and supporting the commercialization of Northvolt's long-term technology roadmap and strategic positioning.

Sami Haikala, Northvolt's Chief Development Officer, explained that consolidating the development of lithium-ion, sodium-ion, and lithium-metal technologies at Northvolt Labs will create a unique R&D environment for Crossvolt Labs' cross-innovation and accelerated development. "By centralizing our efforts, we are better equipped to deliver the next generation of energy solutions to meet the growing demands of the global market."

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