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Battery technologies are among the key technologies of the energy transition. In order for companies to fully exploit the potential of these innovations, they need skilled workers with in-depth knowledge and practical qualifications.

The B³ – Bavarian Battery Training Network project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), is making a key contribution in this area. The aim is to provide targeted and free training for skilled workers along the entire battery value chain, thereby actively supporting the transformation towards electromobility and a sustainable battery recycling economy.

To find out about the current status of the project and get an outlook on the future, Matthias Gerhard, Project Manager for Battery and E-Mobility Training at the SKZ Plastics Centre, answers our questions in an interview.

SKZ: What have been the greatest successes and experiences from the first phase of the B³ project so far?
Matthias Gerhard: Over the past 20 months, more than 474 skilled workers from 105 companies have already received further training in 42 courses.

SKZ: What new content and formats can participants expect in the courses offered from September 2025?
Matthias Gerhard: We are starting with 16 modular training courses covering the entire battery value chain. New from September are our hands-on training courses. There, participants can learn in practice how electrodes are manufactured, how different cell formats are handled, how they are diagnosed and measured, and how battery modules are dismantled for recycling. In addition to the training courses, the project offers B³ impulse lectures – a compact webinar format that regularly highlights current developments and trends in the world of batteries.

SKZ: What topics will the B³ team be addressing in the future?
Matthias Gerhard: A key goal for the coming months is to implement our practical training courses for the first time directly in the laboratories of our research partners throughout Bavaria. In addition, we are increasingly focusing on the qualification of in-house coaches. These key individuals are crucial for many companies in keeping knowledge about production, research and occupational safety up to date or establishing it in the first place. Therefore, the goal of the Bavarian Battery Education Network is to develop targeted qualification measures for this professional group and offer them in 2026.