Henkel has entered a strategic partnership with RWTH Aachen University’s Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM Motion GmbH) to collaborate on research projects in the field of e-mobility. By building a strong partnership between industry and academia, the organizations will pioneer next generation battery technologies, explore material requirements for their realization and in the development of safer and more sustainable batteries. The cooperation agreement was signed at Henkel’s Inspiration Center in Düsseldorf on February 4, by Dr. Christoph Deutskens, CEO of PEM Motion, Professor Achim Kampker, head of the chair “Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components” (PEM) of RWTH Aachen University and Partner at the spin-off PEM Motion, and George Kazantzis, Corporate Vice President Adhesive Technologies, Automotive Components at Henkel.
“As a leading supplier to the global automotive industry, Henkel has been working closely with its customers to develop the solutions, processes and materials that have underpinned the rapid commercialization of battery technologies at scale,” said Henkel’s George Kazantzis. “With this exciting new partnership, we will be able to add further value to our customers through future-oriented projects that leverage PEM Motion’s unique expertise in state-of-the-art technology concept validation.”
As part of the agreement, the Aachen-based company will provide consulting and engineering services concerning e-mobility, from product design to business development, prototyping and testing. Through the adoption of agile processes and the sharing of equipment and resources, the partner organizations will address concrete challenges such as Battery safety (Thermal Propagation Prevention) and the ease of battery disassembly for repair and recyclability as well as sharing insights via an ongoing thought leadership program. This will include joint conference presentations, expert days, and events focused on electric vehicle production, many of which will be hosted at Henkel’s new Inspiration Center in Duesseldorf.
“In collaboration with Henkel, we will address some of the most pressing challenges in the field of e-mobility,” said PEM chair holder and PEM Motion partner Professor Achim Kampker. “By bringing together our shared visions of a safer, more sustainable future with Henkel’s deep industry expertise, we will create a forum for thought leadership and a pathway to implementing new ideas in the vehicles of tomorrow.”
“Our new partnership with PEM Motion exemplifies Henkel’s dedication to innovation and open collaboration,” said Dr. Christian Kirsten, Corporate Senior Vice President Adhesive Technologies Automotive & Metals. “By forging a powerful network that connects leading-edge academic research, to the industry supply chain and automotive OEMs, we will help our customers successfully advance in this highly dynamic period for e-mobility and battery technologies.”
