Inventions for battery reuse and recycling increase more than 7-fold in last 10y

2 days ago

Battery circularity inventions surged more than seven-fold in the last decade, driven by rising global battery demand and end-of-life batteries from EVs expected to increase from 1.2 million in 2030 to 14 million by 2040.
Asia leads in battery circularity innovation, with Asian firms accounting for 63% of international patent families in 2023, while Europe shows significant growth, especially in collection and chemical transformation technologies.
China dominates both battery metal refining and circularity, with its share of international patent families in circularity rising from 5% to 29% between 2013 and 2023, though European and other regions maintain presence.
European innovation focuses on collection, remote handling, and hydrometallurgical extraction, supported by policies like the Batteries Regulation of 2023, aiming to strengthen industrial capacity and circular value chains.
EPO and IEA report highlights patent trends, with battery circularity IPFs growing at 42% annually since 2017, and tools like the EPO’s Deep Tech Finder updated to profile European startups and universities in recycling.

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