The UK’s race to lead the global clean energy transition has taken a decisive step, with a new national collaboration set to accelerate the pace of battery development.
The Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Hartley Center and the Faraday Institute have teamed up to bring together cutting-edge battery science and the UK’s cutting-edge computing power.
Their mission is to accelerate breakthrough progress that strengthens UK industry, strengthens energy security and moves the country closer to its net zero target.
Dr Kate Royce, Director of the STFC Hartley Center, explains:
“By combining the Hartree Center’s cutting-edge expertise in AI and high-performance computing with the Faraday Institute’s world-class research in battery technology, we can help industry and scientists develop new solutions faster and more efficiently.
“Together we are building vital digital skills, strengthening the UK’s position as a global leader in battery innovation and supporting the country’s economic growth and net zero ambitions.”
Leverage world-leading expertise
Under the newly signed Statement of Effort, the two organizations will combine their respective strengths: the Faraday Institute’s cutting-edge battery research and the Hartree Center’s world-class digital innovation capabilities.
By fusing scientific insights with high-performance computing, AI, and advanced modeling, the partnership aims to create breakthrough advances that can transform the way next-generation batteries are designed, tested, and commercialized.
The Hartley Center is based at STFC’s Daresbury Research Institute in the Liverpool City Region and is the country’s leading supercomputing hub dedicated to industrial and public sector innovation.
The company’s experts specialize in AI, data analytics, and high-performance computing. These features are becoming increasingly essential to accelerate energy storage research.
Meanwhile, the Faraday Institute serves as the UK’s independent authority on electrochemical energy storage, bringing together researchers, businesses and policy makers.
Its mission spans basic science, skills development, and early-stage commercialization, all with a focus on improving battery performance and scaling technology for industry.
Promoting battery innovation using AI
At the heart of the collaboration is a shared commitment to leveraging digital tools to enhance battery design.
The team is exploring AI-powered battery modeling and simulation to enable faster experimentation, more accurate performance predictions, and lower battery development costs.
The initiative aims to improve industrial productivity and help businesses bring new products to market faster by integrating UK expertise into integrated digital workflows.
The partnership also plans to provide specialized training to researchers and engineers from academia and industry.
These programs build national skills in AI, advanced simulation, and high-performance computing. These capabilities are becoming increasingly important for modern battery development.
In the longer term, the collaboration aims to establish an international consortium focused on creating exascale-capable simulation software for future battery technologies.
Professor Martin Freer, CEO of the Faraday Institute, added: “This partnership has great potential to bring advantages to the UK in battery research and manufacturing.
“By combining the unique capabilities of our two organizations, our aim is to accelerate battery technology from the lab to market, strengthen the UK’s high-tech manufacturing sector, further strengthen the UK’s research objectives and industrial capabilities, and deploy digital technologies, in line with the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy.”
Why is it important to strengthen UK battery development?
As electric vehicles, renewable power storage and portable electronics reshape global markets, strong domestic battery capacity has become a strategic imperative.
Driving innovation in this sector is vital for the UK, not only for economic growth but also for delivering on our energy security and net zero commitments.
Building world-leading expertise in battery development will enable the UK to capture high-value manufacturing opportunities, reduce dependence on overseas supply chains and support emerging green industries.
The Hartley-Faraday partnership marks a significant step towards securing this competitiveness and ensures the UK remains a leader in the technologies driving the transition to a low carbon future.
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