Many disciplines contribute to battery development: material scientists develop next-generation materials, electrical engineers explore novel state-estimation techniques for battery management systems, and policymakers create new regulations for increased sustainability.
For further battery related PhD opportunities see FindAPhD The Faraday Institution is committed to inspiring STEM talent to consider pursuing careers in the battery sector.
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence; 31 October 2023 ), this translates to 300,000 to 1.4 million jobs by 2030. For the US battery energy storage sector alone, the 2022 National Renewable Energy Lab report estimated that a minimum of 130,000 additional workers (compared to 2020 estimates) would be needed by 2030.
As this is the stage associated with obtaining and preparing the raw materials necessary for battery production, it includes profiles with a high technical aspect associated with extracting materials and their treatment. Thus, degrees such as mining or logistics engineers will be in demand to cover this first part of the battery value chain.
Yet, there is a growing shortage of these skilled individuals, with this becoming one of the limiting factors for scale-up. Estimates of the number of battery-related jobs vary, but the Volta Foundation Battery Report 2023 suggests that there will be 35–162 jobs per GWh.
One of the main reasons for countries´ interest in the battery industry is the job creation that is expected to be generated by the entire value chain linked to this sector.