The European battery market is growing and so is the demand for battery equipment. So far, European mechanical and plant engineering has only been able to establish itself as a supplier to the emerging battery industry in Europe to a limited extent compared to its Asian competitors. In addition to a lack of references in the battery sector, the European mechanical and plant engineering industry has little experience in the manufacture of turnkey systems for the battery industry. One way of encountering the existing competitive disadvantages is the formation of cooperation between equipment manufacturers.
To assess the current situation in Germany, interviews were conducted with machine and plant manufacturers as well as battery cell manufacturers. The key finding of this study is that cooperation between machine and plant manufacturers can offer advantages in competition with Asian manufacturers. These advantages include the synchronization of interfaces, synergy effects and the development of know-how through joint research and development, but also the ability to offer larger system technology in the turnkey sector more quickly.
