The Batteries European Partnership Association

Challenge

In Horizon Europe, the new Research and Innovation framework programme of the European Commission, European Partnerships, were launched to bring private and/or public partners together to address some of Europe’s most pressing challenges through concerted research and innovation initiatives. The Batteries European Partnership is one of these public-private partnerships which gathers all the interested stakeholders from the European battery community, regrouped in an association.

The challenge was to coordinate a Shadow Group of relevant battery experts to provide recommendations and inputs on the main R&I priorities for the European battery sector before establishing the association. There was a need to: coordinate the prioritisation of R&I topics for the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2021-2022; elaborate the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA); make the administrative set-up of the private side association in an AISBL; collect the interests and the consultation of stakeholders willing to join the association; running the day-to-day activities within the core team.

Solution

CLERENS offered to put with direct effect the manpower needed for the operational part of the private-side association to the service of the core team and of the Shadow Group.

Thanks to our consultants who are already involved in key EU initiatives related to batteries such as Batteries Europe and BATTERY2030+, and our significant experience in both setting up and managing trade and industry associations, we were able to provide all the support needed. The administrative support, organisation of meetings, supporting the work programme 20-21 topics prioritisation process, drafting the SRIA based on the inputs from the Shadow Group.

This allowed us to provide a more focused and united workflow, more coherent documents and a faster speed to keep up with the relatively short notice given by the European Commission.

Result

As a result, the Batteries European Partnership Association (BEPA) has been officially launched on 14 December 2020 during its first General Assembly. The newly created association already counts 140 members. CLERENS is now managing the office of the association and coordinates the work with BEPA members in order to:

  • provide strategic recommendations for battery-related R&I activities to be funded under the Horizon Europe Work Programmes related to batteries;
  • support and oversee the portfolio of projects funded under the Partnership Work Programmes;
  • create and reinforce networks between the battery value chain Industry, Research and Technology Organisations, universities and others, and ensure synergies with other European Partnerships and initiatives;
  • support the development of EU regulations on battery standards, safety, and sustainability and actively promote and monitor innovation uptake in the market.

For more information regarding BEPA, please consult the website from the link here.