Germany bets a billion on batteries

Berlin (ots) - A Franco-German agreement on battery cell
production, signed off by Federal Minister for Economics and Energy
Peter Altmaier and his French counterpart Bruno Le Maire on Tuesday,
could pave the way for EUR1bn of EU funding for large-scale battery
cell production in Germany.

Germany's government has, according to the declaration, already
reserved the amount for supporting the development of battery cell
production in Germany, but it is hoping that project proposals within
the sector qualify as an Important Project of Common European
Interest (IPCEI), which would see them gain access to the EUR1bn
IPCEI fund.

"... the Sides have come to the following understanding: The
objective of a French-German Cooperation shall be focused on the
support of cooperation between companies, research institutes and
platforms in the field of battery cell production and across the
value chain, from the raw materials suppliers to the car
manufacturers, with clear commitments of the parties," read the
declaration.

"Specific fields of cooperation between Germany and France shall
include, but are not limited to, industrial aspects of battery cell
production and related technologies, European regulatory issues such
as state aid policy (esp. with regard to IPCEI and cooperation within
the European Battery Alliance)."

"This technology is critical to the future strategy of Germany as
a tech location," said Robert Herrmann, CEO of Germany's federal
economic development agency Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI).

"Synergy and investment between industrial nations is crucial to
better technological advance, so to sign such a declaration with
France under the EU umbrella is a great step forward."

The IPCEI is already set to bestow EUR1bn on German R&D projects,
after a decision by the European Commission for the funding of
microelectronics, as a part of the IPCEI, has cleared the way for
German companies to gain access to EUR1bn of funding from the German
government for their R&D activities.

On the back of a year in which the German semiconductor market
grew 8 per cent - driven to a large extent by increasing activity in
the automotive industry - the news is a welcome break for research
institutes needing ever-increasing numbers of micro-components.

Fields such as artificial intelligence, data security, Industry
4.0, the 5G network and continued advance in autonomous driving will
all benefit from the additional funding.

"Germany is particularly geared strategically towards
future-oriented industries such as autonomous driving and artificial
intelligence and extremely well-equipped in production of, and
research into, automotive and industrial semiconductors," said Max
Milbredt, Senior Manager Electronics at GTAI.

"Germany is already the most important European production
location for semiconductors, so further investment and R&D funding in
facilities such as Forschungsfabrik Mikroelektronik Deutschland
(Research Lab Microelectronics Germany) show that Germany as a
location will continue to be highly relevant for the industrial
sector."

Link to the declaration: http://ots.de/giCTFm

Germany Trade & Invest is the foreign trade and inward investment
agency of the Federal Republic of Germany. The organization advises
foreign companies looking to expand their business activities in the
German market. It provides information on foreign trade to German
companies that seek to enter into foreign markets. All inquiries
relating to Germany as a business and investment location are treated
confidentially. All investment services are available at no charge.

Press Contact:
Daniel Stephens
T. +49 (0)30 200 099-170
F. +49 (0)30 200 099-511
daniel.stephens@gtai.com
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