pioneers, committed to sustainable action and innovative
collaboration.
Part of the ICD is a new Battery Engineering Center, which
was opened in September 2023. What are the objectives?
The main objective of the new Battery Engineering Center is to
further accelerate innovation by seamlessly integrating prod-
uct development, digital modeling and simulation, automated
material application, and full-scale battery system testing – all
under one roof. This allows us to significantly reduce develop-
ment cycles and expedite time to market, which is critical in
accelerating the transition towards electric mobility.
How do you foster collaboration among researchers, engi-
neers, and other stakeholders at the Battery Engineering
Center?
Firstly, we cultivate a strong partnership with our customers
through close collaboration. We deploy our resident engineers
directly within our customers’ design and development cen-
ters. This allows them to learn about the customers’ challeng-
es hands-on, and address them with Henkel solutions. We
further enhance this collaboation by inviting our customers’
design and engineering teams to visit the Battery Engineering
Center to test and validate solutions and work on prototypes
and next-generation batteries, for days or weeks at a time. In
addition, we engage our raw material suppliers to work with us
in our labs and co-develop solutions alongside our chemists.
And finally, there’s a third group of experts we collaborate with:
service providers, who offer equipment-related or engineering
services, for example. Importantly, our Battery Engineering
Center in Düsseldorf is only the first in a network of global
Battery Engineering Centers that we are currently establishing
around the world, giving us an enormous advantage in this
globally interconnected industry.
What role does simulation play in the Battery Engineering
Center?
Modeling and simulation enable us to accelerate our innova-
tion process and deliver tailor-made solutions for our custom-
ers at an unprecedented speed. For example, by creating a dig-
ital twin of any battery system, we can virtually test and adjust
our material solutions before applying them in-house to the
actual batteries. These solutions then undergo various stress
tests to validate that they perform as expected. With this
streamlined approach, we are able to bring validated solutions
to the market faster than ever, thus helping our customers
significantly reduce their development cycles.
How does AVL enrich the Battery Engineering Center?
We chose to partner with AVL given its esteemed reputation
as a leading global provider of testing and analysis solutions
for the automotive industry, particularly in the field of e-mobil-
ity. It is the company that our customers trust. The underlying
philosophy is to combine the expertise of the global market
leader in simulation, modeling, and testing with the proficien-
cy of the world-leading manufacturer of adhesives, sealants,
functional coatings, and thermal and electrical materials. In
doing so, we aim to unlock significant synergies and create
added value for our customers. Together, we can make our
shared ambition of leading green mobility a reality, and at the
same time further expand our leadership positions.
In your opinion, how does Henkel contribute to more
sustainable mobility globally?
Henkel will certainly be the first adhesives manufacturer in
the world to achieve genuine carbon neutrality, in line with the
most recent standards. Year after year, we’ve been honored
with awards that recognize our efforts towards sustainability.
In the transition to electric vehicles, we not only aid the reduc-
tion of the global carbon footprint, but also support a circular
approach to battery use and reuse with our products.
A final thought: How would you personally describe the
perfect mobility of the future?
My primary wish is absolute road safety – zero casualties.
Secondly, I envision a world in which mobility makes a positive
contribution to the global carbon footprint. And finally, I see
vehicles becoming seamlessly integrated into our daily lives,
truly enhancing our overall quality of life. It’s my hope that our
children and our children’s children can enjoy a safer and more
sustainable mobility experience, one which is also fun.
•
Active in the automotive industry for more than 100 years
•
Currently more than 10,000 applications for the automotive industry
•
Of the 150 cars produced each minute globally, 140 have at least one
Henkel application
•
World market leader in adhesives, functional coatings, and thermal and
electronic materials for BEVs
Henkel and the
Automotive Industry
Interview with
George Kazantzis
SPECIAL EDITION