Prof. Dr. Martin Winter received the Shep Wolsky Battery Innovator Award at the International Battery Seminar in Orlando on March 24, 2026. This award, bestowed annually at the seminar founded by Shep Wolsky, recognizes individuals whose work has significantly advanced energy storage technologies and strengthened the global battery community. Winter is the first European to receive this honor.
Over his 35-year career in electrochemical energy storage and conversion, Winter has emerged as a respected leader in battery research. He is the founder and scientific director of the MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster and, since 2015, has served as founding director and scientific director of the Helmholtz Institute Münster at Forschungszentrum Jülich. Under his guidance, these centers have achieved numerous breakthroughs in materials development, cell design, and system integration.
The award committee praised Winter’s extensive contributions to both fundamental research and practical applications in battery technology, describing him as “one of the most respected global leaders in battery research.” His induction into this circle places him alongside previous honorees such as Nobel Prize laureate Prof. Dr. Stanley Whittingham and industry innovator Kurt Kelty from General Motors.
Upon accepting the award, Winter acknowledged the collective efforts of his teams and the broader community: “This recognition belongs not only to me but also to my colleagues at MEET and Helmholtz. Together, we have reached significant milestones through international collaborations and built a strong global battery ecosystem. I look forward to continuing this work in future projects.”
Since its establishment in 1983, the International Battery Seminar has served as a key platform for sharing developments in energy storage across consumer, automotive, military, and grid applications. The seminar’s history includes landmark announcements such as Sony’s first public introduction of lithium-ion technology in 1991.
Source: University of Münster
