Europe’s policymakers increasingly view batteries not merely as a clean energy technology but as a strategic industrial asset, as the continent wrestles with how to convert political ambition into competitive advantage.
At a debate hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee’s industrial change commission on 11 June, senior figures from policy, research and industry converged on a shared concern: that Europe possesses many of the building blocks for battery leadership but is struggling to translate them into industrial scale.
Alain Coheur, president of the commission, set the tone by calling for a shift from aspiration to execution. Mounting competition from China, shifting geopolitical alignments and persistent energy vulnerabilities mean Europe can no longer afford a fragmented approach to industrial policy, he argued, pressing instead for tighter coordination across the full battery value chain – from manufacturing and investment through to recycling and long-term competitiveness.
From strategy to scale
The debate comes as Brussels has rolled out an increasingly comprehensive battery policy framework, including the Net-Zero Industry Act, the Battery Regulation, reforms to the electricity market design and, more recently, the €1.5 billion Battery Booster strategy.
MEP Thomas Pellerin-Carlin said these policies must work together rather than in isolation. He also warned against dismantling existing measures, particularly the EU’s CO2 standards for cars, arguing that regulatory certainty is essential to de-risk investments throughout the battery value chain.
Joanna Drake, deputy director-general at the European Commission’s innovation department (DG RTD), described batteries as a strategic asset underpinning both Europe’s green and digital transitions and stressed the importance of ensuring that technologies developed in Europe are ultimately industrialised there.
However, participants repeatedly pointed to a gap between research and deployment.
Krzysztof Kuik, director for a Clean Planet at DG RTD, identified the link between research activities and industrial deployment as one of Europe’s biggest challenges.
Simon Lux, professor at the University of Münster, argued that Europe already possesses strong companies, excellent research capabilities and a skilled workforce, but still struggles to connect these assets and accelerate their deployment.
A new industrial opportunity
Those challenges were also reflected in a study presented during the debate on the potential of sodium-ion batteries.
The study highlighted Europe’s structural weaknesses. Lithium-ion batteries account for 86 per cent of energy storage systems deployed across the EU, yet Europe represents less than three per cent of global battery manufacturing capacity.
Meanwhile, almost 99 per cent of sodium-ion battery production capacity is currently concentrated in China, which also benefits from a significant first-mover advantage in manufacturing, intellectual property and industrial ecosystems.
At the same time, several participants presented sodium-ion batteries as a promising complement to existing technologies rather than a replacement for lithium-ion batteries.
Jérôme Blanc, director of Development at TOROW, argued that Europe should focus on the next technological cycle rather than attempting to catch up with existing market leaders. However, he warned that incomplete supply chains, a lack of industrial cost competitiveness and an overly narrow focus on electric vehicles could limit progress.
The study similarly concluded that market forces alone are unlikely to deliver a competitive European sodium-ion battery industry. Instead, targeted public intervention will be needed through dedicated funding, pilot projects, supply chain development and clearer regulatory support.
Skills and circularity
The debate also highlighted the importance of circularity and workforce development.
Andrea Kostrowski, policy officer at Environmental Action Germany, argued that circularity should be treated as an industrial strategy rather than simply an environmental objective, calling for stronger eco-design rules, repairability and recycling infrastructure to strengthen Europe’s material security.
Ildiko Kren, strategic organiser at ‘industriAll Europe’, stressed that the EU’s battery ambitions will only succeed if accompanied by a comprehensive workforce strategy, including large-scale upskilling and reskilling efforts, quality jobs and stronger social conditionality.
Industry representatives also called for greater urgency. Fabrice Stassin, secretary-general of the Batteries European Partnership Association, argued that Europe needs to accelerate research, innovation and industrial scale-up while simplifying financial instruments that remain too slow and fragmented.
Alessandro Gallani, CEO of HEIWIT, added that Europe already has the capabilities needed to compete globally and should stop underestimating its own industrial potential.
Beyond batteries
Ultimately, the debate extends far beyond batteries.
It cuts to the heart of Europe’s broader competitiveness agenda and raises a fundamental question for the bloc’s industrial future: can political ambition and scientific expertise be translated into long-term manufacturing capacity?
As participants repeatedly suggested throughout the discussion, scientific excellence alone will not guarantee industrial leadership. For Europe, the next challenge is no longer designing strategies but proving it can deliver on them.
[BM]
