The 2026 International Energy Storage Battery Conference was held on May 26 in Yichang city, Hubei province. Under the theme of "new opportunities, new scenarios, new value", the conference was hosted by the China Energy Research Society and co-organized by the Yichang Municipal People's Government and other institutions. The event brought together distinguished academicians, energy storage experts, leading industry entrepreneurs, and representatives of international organizations for in-depth discussions on innovation in energy storage technology and industrial development.

Christian Beauger, a Professor at MINES PARIS, PSL University, and Jolanta Swiatowska, a Senior Researcher at Chimie ParisTech, PSL University, who are also professors from China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy (ICARE) at Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST), were invited to attend the opening ceremony of the conference.

A key agenda item of the conference was the "academic symposium on cutting-edge technologies and applications of energy storage batteries worldwide". Themed “driving energy storage transformation through dual innovation”, the symposium featured two major tracks: frontiers in global energy storage battery technology, and entrepreneurial strategies and case studies. These tracks focused on advanced fundamental research and practical industrial applications, respectively. Beauger and Swiatowska each delivered academic presentations during the "frontiers in global energy storage battery technology" session.

Beauger gave a talk on green hydrogen production technology. He highlighted the latest research advances in the use of aerogel-based electrode materials to reduce iridium content and improve the efficiency of PEM water electrolysis for hydrogen production.

In energy storage battery interface research, Swiatowska delivered a presentation titled "Probing Electrode-Electrolyte Interfaces in Batteries Using Surface Analytical Techniques". She provided a comprehensive overview of how advanced surface-sensitive techniques can be utilized to achieve refined chemical and structural characterization of buried interfaces in both liquid and solid-state battery systems.

The symposium also welcomed scholars from universities such as Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University, and Tianjin University, alongside representatives from leading energy storage companies such as HiNa Battery Technology Co and Gotion High-Tech Co. Attendees discussed topics including industry-academia-research collaboration, pathways to technology commercialization, and transformations in the energy storage market.

The participation of ICARE’s professors in the conference demonstrated the institute’s academic influence in the cutting-edge field of international energy storage and further strengthened collaboration with academic and industrial communities worldwide. The institute remains committed to its development strategy of "integrating industry with education and coordinating science with education", striving to contribute its insights and expertise to advancing a global zero-carbon ecosystem.

Source: China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, HUST