Partners

BRGM - The French Geological Survey, France

BRGM, the French Geological Survey, is France’s leading public institution for Earth Science applications and work towards advancing the Earth Sciences in strategic areas such as geology and environmental knowledge, mineral resources and the circular economy, digital data and infrastructure. In collaboration with HiQ-LCA partners, BRGM is mainly contributing to develop datasets and methods for battery specific LCA. In addition, BRGM is highly involved in supporting the startup creation that will commercialize the battery-specific LCA services and project result expertise.

Contact: Antoine Beylot

CellCircle UG

CellCircle’s mission is to create a sustainable circular economy for battery cells. The German start-up develops innovative battery recycling processes to recover the functional materials of Li-ion batteries in high purity for direct reuse. Benefits are closed material loops, low energy demands and significantly reduced carbon footprints. This work is complemented by CellCircle’s engagement for an improved life cycle assessment to better distinguish green solutions from standard processes.

Contact: Dr. Andreas Bittner

ecoinvent

ecoinvent is an internationally active, mission-driven organization devoted to supporting high-quality, science-based environmental assessments. Its activities include publishing and maintaining the ecoinvent database, a comprehensive life cycle inventory database that provides reliable and transparent information on the environmental impacts of various products and services. It is used by companies, researchers, and policymakers to analyze the environmental impact of their operations, make informed decisions, and develop sustainable practices. As part of the HiQ-LCA project, ecoinvent will lead the work package on data management

Contact: Thomas Sonderegger

European Lithium Institute eLi (project coordination)

The European Lithium Institute eLi is an international non‐profit organization with headquarters in Brussels and Würzburg. The virtual institute links up the competences and infrastructure of its member organizations along the whole lithium value chain to generate focused international cooperation. All eLi activities are organized in six platforms. Four platforms cover the whole lithium value chain – from exploration and mining up to recycling. Two additional platforms have a cross‐value chain character and use the holistic expertise of eLi to improve life cycle assessment for lithium‐ion batteries and to develop new business models.

Contact: Dr. Andreas Bittner

Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC

The Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research ISC is one of the leading R&D centers for material-based research and development in the fields of resource efficiency, energy, environment and health. The Institute works to develop innovative functional materials and technologies for more sustainable products with less resource input and a clear focus on sustainability. Fraunhofer ISC combines first–rate expertise in materials science with long-standing experience in materials processing, industrial application and the upscaling of production and process technologies to pilot scale as well as in materials analysis and characterization. In the field of battery cell materials and concepts, the Fraunhofer R&D Center Electromobility is one of Europe’s leading research institutions. Fraunhofer ISC is contributing its expertise in the digitization of materials development to the HiQ–CARB project and coordinating dissemination, communication and marketing activities.

Contact: Marie Luise Righi

Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST

Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films is located in Braunschweig, Germany. Our research focuses on surfaces and coatings for sustainable products and related production systems to tap the synergies of process technology and production engineering. Fraunhofer IST is responsible for data generation for graphite materials and development of simulation models of processes for procurement of relevant battery materials in the HiQ‐LCA Project.

Contact: Dr. Ing. Felipe Cerdas

Ghent University, STEN

Ghent University has a strong record in raw materials research and education. The Sustainable Systems Engineering (STEN) Research Group focuses on the study of sustainability, using life cycle thinking and sustainability analysis. In the HiQ-LCA project, STEN will support data generation for representative life cycle assessment. This will be done by investigating the processes in the battery and electric vehicles life cycles, mainly with project partners, and complemented with literature review.

Contact: Lígia da Silva Lima

Leiden University

Leiden University is one of Europe’s leading international research‐intensive universities. The Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) at Leiden University focuses on the strategic and quantitative research and education on sustainable use and governance of natural resources and biodiversity. For over 30 years, CML plays a leading role in the development of tools for decision making on sustainable production and consumption, including life cycle assessment (LCA), material flow analysis (MFA), environmentally extended input‐output analysis (EE‐IOA) and their integration.

Contact: Bernhard Steubing

Contact: Robert Istrate

MINVIRO

Minviro is a science-based consultancy and software provider offering a deeper level to sustainability. They bring the knowledge and tools necessary for impact reduction to people and businesses globally. From guiding material and technology companies in the low-carbon transition to making essential intelligence accessible. Through a recognised framework for analysing impacts, they build transparent roadmaps with actionable insights. Shaping a future where all ingredients of modern technology are produced with consideration and minimal effect on the environment.

Northvolt

Northvolt is a European supplier of sustainable, high – quality battery cells and systems. Founded in 2016 to enable the European transition to a decarbonized future, the company has made swift progress on its mission to deliver the world’s greenest lithium – ion battery with a minimal CO 2 footprint and has grown to over 4 , 500 people from over 110 different nationalities. Northvolt has to date secured more than $ 55 billion worth of contracts from key customers, including BMW, Fluence, Scania, Volkswagen, Volvo Cars and Polestar, to support its plans, which include establishing recycling capabilities to enable 50 percent of all its raw material requirements to be sourced from recycled batteries by 2030.

CyVi group – Université de Bordeaux

Based at the University of Bordeaux in the Institute of Molecular Sciences (ISM), the CyVi Group is an interdisciplinary group of scientists working on research methods of and applications to sustainable chemistry and life cycle assessment. ISM is a Joint Research Unit between Un iversity of Bordeaux, Bordeaux INP and CNRS. The objectives of the research carried out in the CyVi Group is to apply and develop methodologies for assessing the environmental impacts and use of natural resource, in particular life cycle assessment (LCA). The CyVi Group research aims to enhance sustainable engineering & chemistry, and promote the link between academic methodological developments and its application in key sectors.