The most recent of these is the BEPA (Batteries European Partnership) network in which University of Oulu also joined.Īsian countries (first Japan, followed by South Korea and China) have long been business drivers in the battery value chain, especially in the manufacture of battery chemicals and cells. Various cooperation networks related to battery minerals and value chain have been built. In the European Union, the growth of the battery industry was observed relatively late, but recent actions have been fast. Global trend increases the need for battery minerals, and on the other hand, the role of secondary raw materials in the battery value chain will also be emphasized in the coming years. In addition to mobile phones and laptops, battery technology has been increasingly introduced into electric vehicles and tools in recent years. Further, several investment plans for the manufacture of batteries and battery chemicals have also been published. Currently, several new battery factories are under construction in Europe. The global trend of electrification is advancing at an accelerated rate.
