Showcase sets direction for the UK's next chapter in battery innovation

Shaping the future of battery innovation

The event introduced the Battery Innovation Programme, funded by the Department for Business and Trade and delivered by Innovate UK, and set out a shared vision for shaping the future of battery innovation in the UK.

The £452 million Battery Innovation Programme, running from April 2026 to March 2030, was announced last June as part of the UK’s Industrial Strategy. The programme will accelerate the UK’s leadership in clean energy and advanced manufacturing.

By driving innovation across automotive, aerospace, defence and energy, the programme aims to strengthen the UK’s battery ecosystem, enhance supply chain resilience and support long-term economic growth.

The programme is focused on:

• transforming breakthrough research into next-generation energy storage solutions
• scaling research and development into real-world commercial impact
• building skills and collaboration to turn ideas into reality

Bringing the ecosystem together

More than 20 exhibitors showcased innovations from across the battery landscape, with delegates gaining cross-sector insights spanning automotive, aerospace, defence and energy. The showcase highlighted the importance of collaboration, investment and skills development in translating ambition into impact.

Opening the event, Tom Adeyoola, Executive Chair of Innovate UK, described the programme as a major intervention bringing together the full ecosystem.

This programme is about industry, innovators, investors and government coming together at scale to bring all the elements needed to drive economic growth and deliver genuinely world-leading innovation.

– Tom Adeyoola, Executive Chair, Innovate UK

A ministerial keynote followed from Chris McDonald, Minister for Industry, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and the Department for Business and Trade. He emphasised the strategic importance of batteries to the UK economy.

The government is backing the sector because we know it is a strategic necessity for the UK. If we want the country to have a secure, growing, sustainable economy, we need a strong, competitive battery industry that is rooted here at home.

– Chris McDonald, Minister for Industry, DESNZ & DBT

From vision to delivery

The programme’s ambitions and delivery approach were explored in sessions led by Rebecca Schapira, Department for Business and Trade, and Valentina Gentili, Battery Innovation programme Director at Innovate UK, who outlined how the programme will support sustainable battery innovation from early-stage R&D through to scale-up and commercialisation.

Further insights from Valentina Gentili focused on how businesses and academics can engage with the Battery Innovation Programme, leverage upcoming competitions and access support mechanisms designed to accelerate growth and adoption.

Discussions throughout the day covered investment partnerships, international collaboration, inclusive innovation and workforce development, reinforcing the programme’s role in building a resilient, globally competitive battery sector.

Looking ahead

The showcase marked the first opportunity for the battery innovation community to reconnect since the conclusion of the Faraday Battery Challenge in March 2025, and set the tone for the next phase of UK battery innovation.

As Innovate UK gears up for the official launch of the Battery Innovation Programme in April 2026, the programme will outline upcoming funding competitions, investor partnerships and skills initiatives, while continuing to foster collaboration across the ecosystem.

About the Battery Innovation Programme

The Battery Innovation Programme, funded by the Department for Business and Trade and delivered by Innovate UK, is a £452 million programme running from 2026 to 2030. It is designed to grow the UK economy by accelerating battery innovation and enhancing the nation’s global competitiveness across automotive, aerospace, defence and energy.