The KiBa-Pro project, launched in July 2026 and running through June 2029, brings together a consortium of industry and research partners to digitalize European battery cell production. Led by EAS Batteries GmbH in Nordhausen, Germany, the project focuses on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells, aiming to enhance production quality and extend cell service life using data‐driven processes and artificial intelligence.
In the first phase, EAS will equip its production line with additional sensors and modern interfaces to capture production, material, and quality data. All information will be consolidated into a central data infrastructure, creating a continuous record of the entire manufacturing process. This data foundation will support intelligent optimization and lay the groundwork for a future digital production environment.
Building on this data, the consortium will develop a virtual LFP cell model. Advanced AI algorithms will analyze relationships between parameters—such as coating thickness, porosity, material throughput, and temperature profiles—and key performance metrics like capacity and service life. By predicting the effects of parameter changes before physical trials, the team expects to reduce scrap rates, accelerate optimization cycles, and identify error sources earlier. This simulation‐first approach also supports compliance with emerging requirements such as the Digital Product Passport.
During the project’s first year, partners will digitize processes, establish data platforms, and produce initial reference cell batches. Subsequent phases will refine the virtual cell model, develop AI-supported performance predictors, and validate methods in an industrial setting. The consortium’s goal is to increase cell service life by at least 10 percent and boost production yield by at least 15 percent.
Project funding of €2.4 million comes from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space, with Projektträger Jülich overseeing project management. Consortium members cover the full battery value chain: EAS Batteries (coordination and digitization), RWTH Aachen University’s CARL center (cell characterization and AI model development), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (research data management and digital product passport infrastructure via Kadi4Mat), Batalyse GmbH (automated data management and analysis software), and Omron Europe B.V. (automation and data acquisition expertise). The project aims to strengthen the competitiveness of European battery manufacturers and establish best practices for intelligent, sustainable cell production.
Source: EAS Batteries
