- Pilot production to be established at Tübingen site
- “Roundabout” project receives eight million euros in funding
- Fraunhofer IPA, KIT and ZSW are scientific partners
Stuttgart/Tübingen, March 11, 2025 – The German battery cell pioneer CustomCells is part of the “Innovation and Future Agenda” of the state of Baden-Württemberg: CustomCells will be a corporate partner in a practical research project to build up expertise in the field of next-generation round cells. The Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (Fraunhofer IPA) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are the scientific partners. The project is being funded with eight million euros. CustomCells has decided to locate its round cell pilot line at its site in Tübingen. This was announced at the state press conference in Stuttgart on Tuesday (March 11) by Minister President Winfried Kretschmann, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister of Economic Affairs, Labor and Tourism, and Petra Olschowski, Minister of Science, Research and the Arts.
“We are very pleased that CustomCells has decided to establish its round cell pilot line in Tübingen. This shows that Baden-Württemberg continues to offer very good conditions for innovative companies to locate here. This is a strong signal for the competitiveness of our state,” said Minister of Economic Affairs Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut.
Innovation boost for the round cell
“Battery storage systems play a central role in the structural change of the automotive industry. As the state government, we have decided to support battery research with eight million euros through the practice-oriented ‘Roundabout’ research project. The overall goal of the project is to build up the overall expertise in Baden-Württemberg in the field of next-generation round cells and thus boost innovation for the battery ecosystem in the state,” said Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut: “In addition to the scientific partners, the Center for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW), the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (FhG IPA) and the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), companies will also be involved, including CustomCells.“
The research project is designed to drive innovation: Together with its scientific partners, CustomCells will decisively advance and accelerate the design, production possibilities and digitalization for premium cells in the large-format round cell format (46 mm) and thus further consolidate Baden-Württemberg’s competitive strength. A round cell is a cylindrical battery with a robust design, good heat dissipation and high energy density. This makes it very versatile.
Science Minister Petra Olschowski: “Research creates innovation, and innovation creates the future. It is therefore all the more important that we continue to develop and promote our successful research and science location with the Innovation and Future Agenda, so that Baden-Württemberg remains a strong and prosperous state in which we all enjoy living and working”.
CustomCells round cell INR-4695
Premium round cells will become increasingly important in the future
With its developments to date, CustomCells has set the standard for premium cells with exceptionally high energy and power densities. These innovative cells specifically address market segments that have not yet been addressed by Asian suppliers – including agricultural technology, premium automotive engineering, motor sports, e-aviation, defense technology and the off-road segment in general, for example in heavy-duty, mining and maritime applications. In this way, CustomCells not only strengthens Germany’s technological supremacy, but also Baden-Württemberg’s international competitiveness.
“Made in Baden-Württemberg”: Innovation for the global market
“We are using the innovative power of Baden-Württemberg – and strengthening it enormously with this project,” says Dr. Christoph Falk, COO of CustomCells. “Our round cell technology enables high-performance batteries for applications that place the highest demands on quality, safety and performance. The fact that such a key technology is being developed in Germany is a strong signal for the country as a business location – especially in terms of sustainability and the use of clean energy“.
A key component of the project is the construction of a state-of-the-art pilot plant in Tübingen, Germany. This will bridge the gap between research and industrial production in order to efficiently scale up the production of the new premium round cells with state-of-the-art digitalization and process automation. CustomCells is targeting customers in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, but also intends to address the entire European market from Tübingen.
“With this project, CustomCells is positioning itself as one of the few European players in a strategically important segment of battery technology,” says Falk: “Research and production in Baden-Württemberg not only secure technological leadership, but also industrial value creation in Germany.”
