The urgency is set by the market. China sold 16.49 million new energy vehicles in 2025, representing 47.9 percent of all new vehicle sales. Battery makers are now redesigning cell and pack architectures faster than conventional material qualification cycles allow. Under the three-year cooperation framework, Henkel and CALB plan to bring together more than 30 specialists across material development, cell design, application testing and scale-up to advance high-performance, high-safety, low-carbon and sustainable battery technologies. The collaboration will initially focus on adhesive technologies and application solutions for new energy vehicle batteries. The first joint material development project has already achieved core development cycles of approximately three months, demonstrating the potential to accelerate industrial adoption.

Joint teams will formulate and characterize advanced polymer-based materials, evaluate product performance, optimize dispensing and assembly processes, and leverage digital modeling and simulation. Linking digital development with physical testing and pilot-scale production will allow the teams to identify promising solutions earlier, reduce development iterations and shorten the path to industrial application.

Together, these capabilities can support faster localization, more efficient qualification and a smoother transition from concept to production for China’s new energy battery industry. The center can also create opportunities to apply validated know-how and solutions to relevant customer projects across Asia-Pacific, subject to market requirements and project needs.

Learn more at henkel.com.