One of the EU Commission's important strategic goals is to establish competitive European battery production. To achieve this, it has launched the European battery initiative "EuBatIn". Of the only six Austrian companies invited to participate, two are from Upper Austria: Miba AG, based in Laakirchen, and Voltlabor, based in Mühlviertel, in which Miba holds a stake.
As part of a 2-year qualification process, the technologies of Miba and Voltlabor were put through their paces, and a rigorous assessment of the business model and growth prospects was also carried out. Finally, the potential of the two companies was confirmed at EU level. Inclusion in the initiative acts as an additional growth spurt for both companies, which therefore aim to establish their battery technologies on the market even faster.
Multi-million investment planned in battery production in Austria
Especially for Voltlabor as a comparatively small player, the participation is a special award and shows the clear position of the company as a pioneer in battery technology in Austria. After years of careful development of product and production, an exemplary battery production is now to be established in Austria with investments in the millions. This will make Voltlabor GmbH the largest Austrian manufacturer of Li-ion battery packs.
Efficient energy storage as an important contribution to sustainability and environmental friendliness
Miba sees high customer interest among automotive manufacturers for the FLEXcooler®, a battery heat sink that has won several innovation awards. "Battery technologies are a relatively new business area for Miba," explains CEO F. Peter Mitterbauer. "However, we see strong growth opportunities in it. And it fits perfectly with our corporate mission 'Technologies for a cleaner planet': we want to use Miba technologies to contribute to the efficient and therefore environmentally friendly production, transmission, storage and use of energy. This ranges from drive technology for vehicles, ships and aircraft, for example, to solutions for power plants and electricity grids, and even battery technology."
