The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) has today announced a £41 million investment (matched with a further £56 million from businesses and academia) for twenty-three new Prosperity Partnerships to tackle key industry challenges. The University of Oxford, in partnership with Fortescue Zero , will lead one of these to develop safer, more reliable, high-performance batteries for industries such as mining, transport, and construction.
Since 2017, Prosperity Partnerships have provided investment for academic institutes and businesses to co-create and co-deliver a programme of research activity that directly addresses a clear industrial need.
By backing scientists to work hand-in-hand with industry, we're combining cutting-edge research with business expertise to turn science into practical solutions that can make a difference in people's daily lives.
Lord Patrick Vallance, Minister for Science
For the new project 'Energy storage for decarbonisation', the University of Oxford will partner with Fortescue Zero, a global leader in zero emissions solutions and electrifying mining equipment, to develop safer, longer-lasting, and more efficient industrial batteries for vehicles in difficult-to-decarbonise industries. This work will be led by Professor Paul Shearing and Professor David Howey , both of the Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford.
Heavy-duty industries are vital to the global economy but face major challenges in cutting carbon emissions. There is an urgent need for advanced battery technologies that are safe, long-lasting, and durable enough to withstand tough operating environments.
This new Prosperity Partnership builds on more than a decade of collaboration between Oxford and Fortescue and showcases Oxford's world-leading strengths in energy storage, materials science, and battery management systems. The research will be anchored in the University's Departments of Engineering Science and Materials , and Oxford University's ZERO Institute , a multi-disciplinary hub for zero-carbon energy research. This will involve five integrated work streams:
- Battery safety: Developing accelerated methods for stress testing, failure modelling, and battery certification.
- Battery management & control: Using physics-based and AI-driven models, diagnostics, and real-time optimisation.
- Thermal management: Developing novel nanomaterials for heat insulation and dissipation in battery packs.
- AI for battery engineering: Developing deep learning tools for lab and field data analysis, and intelligent instrument systems.
- Horizon Scanning: Responding to emerging technologies and priorities in energy storage.
Throughout these, translation will be a strong focus with new technologies directly tested in Fortescue Zero's battery systems.
Battery research in professor David Howey's group. Credit: Ian Wallman.By improving the durability and performance of batteries, the partnership could lead to new UK-made products with global export potential, and help deliver cleaner air, lower carbon emissions, and more sustainable infrastructure.
Project Lead Professor David Howey said: 'This partnership allows us to take cutting-edge battery science and engineering from the lab into the field-helping decarbonise some of the world's most challenging sectors while creating new opportunities for UK innovation and industry.'
Professor Charlotte Deane , EPSRC Executive Chair, and a Professor in Oxford University's Department of Statistics, said: 'Our flagship Prosperity Partnerships scheme brings together world-class expertise from businesses and academia to solve big challenges to support the growth of industry and advance UK research.'
A previous EPSRC Prosperity Partnership grant awarded to the University of Oxford and spin-out company Oxford PV enabled innovative research to develop next-generation solar cells . Made from perovskite-based technology, these have a theoretical maximum efficiency of more than 43%, compared to silicon-only cells which are reaching their physical limits at less than 30%. Oxford PV are now embarking on commercial production and scaling up the technology.
