Construction has begun on a new battery research and innovation facility in Münster, as Technologieförderung Münster (TFM) launched the BATTL3 project with a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony at the Münster Science Park.
The specialized laboratory building will become part of BatteryCityMünster, a regional cluster focused on battery research, development and industrial collaboration. According to TFM, the project is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2027.
The six-storey building will provide around 1,600 square metres of laboratory space, offering facilities for up to five companies, including startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, industrial partners and international investors. The facility is intended to strengthen collaboration between research institutions and industry within the growing battery technology ecosystem.
BATTL3 will be located on a wedge-shaped site between Mendelstraße and Heisenbergstraße at the Münster Technology Campus. The project represents a total investment of nearly €14 million, with funding support from the North Rhine-Westphalia state government and the European Union through the European Regional Development Fund. Together, these sources contribute €6.75 million, while TFM will finance the remaining €7.25 million, including €4 million provided by the city of Münster.
Once completed, BATTL3 will become the third laboratory building on the technology campus and will work closely with several research institutions already active in BatteryCityMünster. These include the MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster, the Helmholtz Institute Münster, the Fraunhofer Forschungsfertigung Batteriezelle FFB, and IWARU – FH Münster.
The facility will include chemical laboratories, hazardous material storage areas, modern ventilation systems, office space, and infrastructure for installing dry rooms, allowing companies to conduct advanced battery research and development.
“With this new building, TFM reinforces its leading role and driving force in the strategic development of an innovative research infrastructure and the BatteryCityMünster brand,” said Volker Ruff. “Spaces for innovation follow a clear strategic direction to strengthen the local battery systems cluster.”
BatteryCityMünster refers to the concentration of research institutes, universities, companies and startups in the region focused on energy storage technologies and battery systems. The cluster has grown into one of Europe’s major centres for battery research.
Ruff added that the initiative aims to strengthen Europe’s technological independence. “Together with the city, research partners, and companies, we aim to contribute to Europe’s energy transition, sustainability, and autonomy,” he said.
Marco Trienes, head of the city’s economic development agency Wirtschaftsförderung Münster GmbH, said the new facility will help transfer research results into commercial applications.
“BATTL3 creates the urgently needed infrastructure for the transfer of knowledge and technologies into the economy,” Trienes said. “We expect new business locations, the transformation of existing companies and significant impulses for the regional labor market.”
