Accurec is a German SME company, founded in 1995 with its primary target to constitute the consumer battery recycling market in Germany. Using first time vacuum thermal treatment technology for recycling, Accurec has implemented a zero-emission plant for recycling batteries containing hazardous elements (Nickel-Cadmium batteries). After upscaling and expansion, other battery types (Li-ion, NiMH) are also treated by Accurec. Today Accurec is a continuously growing, branch leading company. Accurec has been awarded several times for its innovative resource efficiency technology (Ecopol 2013, German Resource Agency 2012). Necessary continuous improvements of process technology, as well as fast innovation in energy storage system force Accurec to spend 10% of its turnover for R&D activities. Thus, several R&D projects were initiated in cooperation with international partners and/or universities to improve internal know-how and test newly developed recycling process.

Established in Cambridge, UK in 1946 and with several facilities across the globe, TWI Ltd is one of the world’s leading not-for-profit research and technology organisations with a turnover in 2016 of £60m (€69.8million). From bases in the UK, South East Asia, India, the Middle East, Central Asia and the USA, nearly 800 staff provide expertise in joining and fabrication, material science and structural integrity. Services include generic research; contract R&D; technical information; engineering services and advice; standards development; and training and qualification services. Since its inception, as the British Welding Research Association in 1946, TWI has been at the forefront of arc welding development. Achievements include developing carbon dioxide shielding for MIG/MAG welding, making the process viable for welding carbon steel, and building the first solid-state power sources, paving the way for thyristor and inverter technology.

Blue World Technologies is an ambitious and visionary developer and manufacturer of methanol fuel cell components and systems for stationary/APU applications and the automotive and heavy-duty transportation sectors around the world. The fuel cells act as a green alternative to combustion engines and diesel generators. As a part of the Power-to-X eco-system the methanol fuel cell technology contributes to solving parts of the green transition which cannot be solved by direct electrification and battery technology alone.

The exclusive fuel for Blue World Technologies’ fuel cell systems is methanol – a renewable liquid fuel that simply and cost-effectively can be stored for years and transported around the world while reusing existing infrastructure.

Blue World Technologies is founded on extensive experience from the fuel cell industry and aims towards commercialising the technology through large-scale production. The company is focused on the High-Temperature PEM-technology combined with methanol-reforming. The combination ensures a simple system design with high conversion efficiency and significant benefits including CO2 reduction, fuel cost savings, and zero harmful emissions.

The Institute of Nonferrous Metallurgy and Purest Materials (INEMET) at the Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg (TUF) was founded in 1765, making it the oldest metallurgical institute in the world. Today students are educated in “Nonferrous Metallurgy” within the program “Materials Production”. Important topics in research and education are production, refining and recycling of nonferrous metals. Many research projects deal with the topic recycling. Moreover, the activities are focused on the development of new hydro- and pyrometallurgical processes and facilities to extract nonferrous metals and to recycle metal-based materials. For research and education high-tech equipment is available at the institute, for instance a TSL pilot plant and various furnaces with different gaseous atmosphere in pyrometallurgy, different leaching and solvent extraction facilities, electrolysis cells for electro winning and electro refining and also clean rooms for the production of semiconductor materials  por For pyrometallurgical research and education high-tech equipment is available at the institute, for instance a TSL pilot plant and various types of furnaces like induction, resistance and radiation heated systems even small TSL furnaces are available

UB is a full university with more than 17.000 students enrolled. UB is involved in numerous FP7 and Horizon 2020 projects, which are managed by the Euresearch office. The nanoelectrocatalysis and electrochemical energy conversion group of Prof. M. Arenz at UB is active in the following areas: Synthesis, activity as well as stability determination and benchmarking of PGM and non-PGM catalysts for fuel cells and electrolyzers. Method development for testing and benchmarking electrocatalysts for energy conversion processes. Method development for stability testing of electrocatalysts. Electrocatalytic production of valuable chemicals. In-situ and in-operando spectroscopy (IR, Raman, XAS) studies of electrocatalytic processes.

PRUFREX is a SME from Cadolzburg, Germany. PRUFREX is an expert for electronic control and regulation systems with respect to given specifications and parameters. PRUFREX core competences include the development of customer specific software related solutions and electronic hardware components. The production, development and design of all products and solutions is based on our “robust design” philosophy. Amongst other things our “robust design” stands for mechanical stability and electronic safety with respect to electromagnetic compatibility. Regarding the system integration PRUFREX is the ideal partner regarding the electronic process side and with the respect to given specifications and parameters (chemical) for the operating strategy.