Although solid state batteries do not use lithium-ion technology, Ilika is part of a broader cell and battery development ecosystem in the UK that harnesses government support (via APC, UKBIC and FBC) and private funding to develop and scale cell and battery technology.
With the local content requirements under the IRA and the latest tariff hikes, the US has dealt a double blow to lithium-ion battery imports from mainland China, but it still relies on mainland China directly and indirectly for a range of minerals, including cobalt, graphite and lithium.
The UK too is seeking to onshore global production networks for lithium-ion batteries (LiB) and build a domestic battery supply chain. The UK case is instructive as the geopolitical dynamics of onshoring centre on maintaining the UK's role as an automobile manufacturing platform in the post-Brexit period rather than a general ‘global race’.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed in principle to provide EUR 350 million in financing to support Northvolt's development of Europe's first lithium-ion battery cell gigafactory. The factory in Sweden will help reduce the EU's dependence on oil and imported batteries.
Lithium-ion battery production is rapidly scaling up, as electromobility gathers pace in the context of decarbonising transportation. As battery output accelerates, the global production networks and supply chains associated with lithium-ion battery manufacturing are being re-worked organisationally and geographically (Bridge and Faigen 2022).
As demand for electrical energy storage scales, production networks for lithium-ion battery manufacturing are being re-worked organisationally and geographically. The UK - like the US and EU - is seeking to onshore lithium-ion battery production and build a national battery supply chain.