The PHOENIX project consortium met in Rome on April 22nd, 2026, for its 7th General Assembly. Hosted by Deep Blue at Talent Garden Ostiense and coordinated by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), the meeting served as a checkpoint to consolidate technical results and align the strategy for the project’s final year.

Technical progress: scaling the smart battery

The morning session focused on Work Packages updates, showcasing significant progress across the “smart battery” value chain:

• Triggering & sensing (WP3): Latest results on monitoring devices and self-healing activation mechanisms.

• Validation & prototyping (WPs 4 & 5): Discussions on single-layer pouch cell testing and the development of multi-sensor smart prototypes.

• Battery Management Systems (WP6): Advancements in BMS integration, essential for interpreting sensor data and managing real-time cell health.

• Manufacturing & end-of-life (WP7): Deep dive into production processes and sustainable recycling strategies for self-healing batteries.

Operational workshops: planning & exploitation

The afternoon featured interactive sessions designed to address the project’s future sustainability and technical interdependencies:

• Technical planning workshop: A dedicated session to “back-planning” for the remaining months (up to M48), ensuring a clear path for final deliverables and risk mitigation.

• Exploitation workshop: This session used pre-meeting survey data to map Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), sustainability models, and stakeholder engagement strategies.

Cross-projects synergies: the SALAMANDER meeting

A major highlight of the day was the joint meeting (read the dedicated article) with our sister project, SALAMANDER. The two consortia exchanged scientific breakthroughs: SALAMANDER presented insights on self-healing polymer films, while PHOENIX showcased its innovations in high-resolution thermal monitoring via optical fibers. This exchange laid the groundwork for future scientific collaborations within the Battery 2030+ ecosystem.

Next steps

The General Assembly concluded with a clear roadmap. The consortium is now focused on finalising experimental results with internal technical workshops on the way, and preparing for the second reporting period with the European Commission.

Stay tuned for more updates on PHOENIX and the future of self-healing batteries in Europe by following our official channels!