Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials Secures Funding for Next-Generation Sodium-Ion Battery Research

The Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials at the University of Groningen is proud to announce its participation in the NANEXBAT project, one of three groundbreaking initiatives recently awarded funding by the National Growth Fund programme Battery Competence Cluster NL (BCC-NL). With a total grant of nearly 14.5 million euros allocated across the three projects, NANEXBAT will receive significant support to advance sustainable battery technologies.

NANEXBAT—short for Sustainable materials innovation for next-generation sodium-ion batteries—aims to address critical challenges in battery development by reducing dependence on scarce raw materials and improving the circularity of battery technologies. The project is led by Prof. Dr. Ir. Mark Huijben (University of Twente) and Prof. Dr. Marnix Wagemaker (Delft University of Technology), with a consortium of leading academic and industrial partners, including the University of Groningen.

At the Faculty of Science & Engineering, Giuseppe Portale, Loredana Protesescu, and Moniek Tromp (all Zernike Institute) and Xin Sun (ESRIG), will spearhead the Groningen contribution, securing 2.25 million euros to fund three PhD positions and two postdoctoral researchers. Their work will focus on fundamental materials research, combining experimental and computational approaches to uncover structure-property relationships in sodium-ion battery materials. This research will be essential for developing commercially viable, sustainable, and high-performance battery technologies.

Sodium-ion batteries offer a promising alternative to traditional lithium-ion systems, particularly in terms of resource availability and environmental impact. By advancing our understanding of these materials, the NANEXBAT project will contribute to a more circular and sustainable energy future.

This initiative aligns with the broader goals of the National Growth Fund programme Material Independence & Circular Batteries, which seeks to strengthen the Dutch battery value chain and foster innovation in energy storage solutions.

The Zernike Institute is excited to collaborate with partners across academia and industry to drive progress in battery technology, supporting the energy transition and reinforcing the Netherlands’ position as a leader in sustainable innovation.