Research

BMW meets UBT

Experts from the BMW Group visited the University of Bayreuth this week. The focus was on the circular economy, sustainability and the contributions of science to these challenges. They visited Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH and BayBatt.

By Anja-Maria Meister · 10.11.2023

It was an event at the University of Bayreuth in June this year at which Dr Markus Seidel, Head of Circular Economy at BMW, was a keynote speaker and which drew his attention to our expertise - which is also of interest to the BMW Group. He has now visited the UBT together with a group of BMW experts. He was accompanied by Martin Schuster (VP Battery Cell, Cell Module), Dr Jürgen Hildinger (Head of Department High-Voltage Storage, All Solid State Battery, Charging), Dr Kurt Vandeputte (Head of Department Battery Cell Technology), Dr Kamelia Detig-Karlou (Head of Life Cycle Analysis, Circular Economy High-Voltage Storage), Dr Wolfgang Pohl (Referent Materials, Process Engineering) and Dr Wolfgang Stadlbauer (Head of Business Team TC Drive).

University President Prof Dr Stefan Leible presented the UBT and selected key research areas. Prof Dr Christoph Helbig, holder of the Chair of Ecological Resource Technology, presented his department's projects that deal with material and energy flows and research their more sustainable design. His theses on the service life of materials and possible ways of improving them led to a lively discussion about the challenges facing OEMs (original equipment manufacturers, in this case car manufacturers) and future issues, including upcoming legal regulations and requirements. These topics also characterised the subsequent visit to Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH.

Prof Dr-Ing Holger Ruckdäschel, Chair of Polymer Materials & Managing Director of Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH, and his colleagues Robin Fachtan, Team Leader Injection Moulding & Composites Plastics Division, and Peter Schreier, Team Leader Particle Foams, presented the range of NMB services and competently answered every question from the guests.

(from front) Dr Kurt Vandeputte, Head of Battery Cell Technology Department, Dr Kamelia Detig-Karlou , Head of Life Cycle Analysis, Circular Economy High-Voltage Storage, Dr Markus Seidel, Head of Circular Economy, Martin Schuster, VP Battery Cell Department and Dr Wolfgang Pohl, Head of Materials, Process Engineering (all BMW)

(from right) Dr Kurt Vandeputte, Head of Battery Cell Technology BMW and Dr. Wolfgang Pohl, Head of Materials, Process Engineering BMW next to University President Prof Dr Stefan Leible.

From left: Dr Jürgen Hildinger, Head of High-Voltage Storage, All Solid State Battery, Charging, Dr Markus Seidel, Head of Circular Economy (both BMW) with Prof Ruckdäschel.

Prof Dr-Ing Holger Ruckdäschel (center) in conversation with Martin Schuster, VP Battery Cell Department at BMW (opposite).

The NMB

Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH provides R&D for innovative materials and processes for industrial application. It is an independent, non-academic research institution for the development of novel material variants and associated energy-efficient processing methods in the field of lightweight construction for polymers, metals and composites. NMB provides sustainable, application-oriented solutions in order to optimize existing materials and production processes. Core feature is its highly modern plant technology that enables R&D and prototyping both on an industrial and laboratory scale. NMB also offers a comprehensive range of services like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and materials analysis / component testing based on latest processes and laboratory technology. Based on close cooperation with chairs of materials science at the University of Bayreuth, the project partners benefit from technology transfer from basic research to applied development.

Finally, the guests visited the BayBatt, the flagship research centre for battery technology in Bavaria. Prof Dr Michael Danzer, Chair of Electrical Energy Systems & Director of BayBatt, introduced BayBatt, while selected fields of research were presented by his colleagues Prof Dr Matteo Bianchini, Chair of Inorganic Active Materials for Electrochemical Storage, Prof Dr Ralf Moos, Chair of Functional Materials, Prof Dr Fridolin Röder, Junior Professor of Battery Management Methods and Prof Dr Jan-Philipp Schmidt, Chair of Systems Engineering for Electrical Energy Storage. Prof Bianchini gave the BMW representatives a tour of his laboratories at BayBatt so that they could get an idea of the conditions for battery research in a former cigarette factory.

The BayBatt:

The Bavarian Center for Battery Technology (BayBatt) bundles battery-specific expertise in physics and chemistry, material science and engineering, as well as information technology and economics as a supra-regional competence center at the Bayreuth location. Its central task is the interdisciplinary research and development of battery storage systems at the interfaces of materials science, electrochemistry, engineering, information technology and economics, as well as university teaching in the field of battery storage systems. With this approach, battery systems are researched and developed as an interacting and intelligent system from modules, cells and battery management with the associated mechanical, thermal and electrical components to the functional and active materials of an electrochemical cell. Applications of the developments are in the field of electromobility, power tools as well as in the stationary sector. BayBatt aims to build bridges between basic electrochemical, materials science and engineering research and the industrial use of the developed processes and models.

Anja-Maria Meister

PR Spokesperson of the University of Bayreuth

Webmaster: Team UBTaktuell