The new center is located at Orion’s main innovation hub in Cologne, Germany. The facility includes a full array of state-of-the-art production, testing and diagnostic equipment. The center will accelerate Orion’s tailor-made product and process development in close cooperation with customers, the company said.

“The growth potential for conductive additives is huge. We are committed to serving the needs of battery producers with innovation and a global production network. Our new Battery Innovation Center will further position Orion as a leader in the industry,” commented Corning Painter, CEO of Orion. “The battery lab will also broaden and intensify our already extensive network of collaboration with universities, customers and other partners in the battery industry.”

Along with the Battery Innovation Center, Orion plans to establish a new specialized organization for its battery business, led by Adrian Steinmetz, who joins Orion on Oct. 1 from BASF and will serve as global vice president for conductive additives.

In the new Battery Innovation Center, Amaury Augeard – who joined the company from the Lotus Group – will lead the technical team as the head of energy systems.

With a plant in France, Orion claims to be the sole producer of acetylene-based conductive additives in Europe. In the US, the company is building a similar plant, which it said will be the only facility of its kind in the country. The site in La Porte, Texas, will quadruple Orion’s manufacturing capacity for acetylene-based conductive additives, which are in high demand by lithium-ion battery producers.