The local landscape for battery research and education

Colloquium by Prof. Daniel Brandell (Uppsala University)

Time&place: Wednesday, March 4 at 13:00 in Room 21D304

Abstract:

While batteries grow in importance as a key component in the energy system, they are also at the forefront of geopolitical struggles and within a rapidly changing industrial landscape. In this process, research and education within the battery area are of large social impact – future competitiveness depends highly on mastering next-generation technology and school next-generation engineers and scientists. This is also reflected in recent activities in Sweden, where the battery technology area has grown significantly during the last decades. There now exists plenty of opportunities and platforms in forms of both industry-academia and cross-academic collaborations. This presentation will present a guide through the Swedish landscape, with an international outlook.    

Bio: 

Daniel Brandell is Professor of Materials Chemistry at Uppsala University. He leads the research environment the Ångström Advanced Battery Centre since 2018, involving >100 researchers. Since 2020, he coordinates the industry-academia research center “Batteries Sweden”. He is also coordinator for energy research at Uppsala University, director for the inter-university research constellation STandUP for Energy, and Uppsala coordinator for the academic battery research network COMPEL. In his research, he combines computational chemistry spanning DFT calculations, MD simulations and FEM electrochemical modelling with experimental activities, with a clear focus on Li-ion batteries and other ‘next-generation’ battery chemistries such as Na-ion batteries, solid-state systems, Li-Sulfur, Organic batteries, etc, and has published >250 papers in the field. He holds several national and international research grants, including an ERC consolidator grant from 2017 on polymer electrolytes, and has many collaboration projects with industry. He is also involved in designing educational activities in the battery technology area.