The Cluster
POLiS (Post Lithium Energy Storage) is a Cluster of Excellence funded under Germany’s Excellence Strategy. Bringing together researchers from Ulm University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU), POLiS advances fundamental research on sustainable post-lithium energy storage.
Mission Statement
Our Mission
The transition towards a climate-neutral society requires energy storage technologies that combine outstanding performance with sustainability, safety and responsible use of resources. Meeting these demands calls for fundamentally new battery concepts that go beyond today’s lithium-ion technology. POLiS advances the scientific foundations of sustainable post-lithium energy storage.
Our mission is to discover and establish entirely new battery chemistries that enable the next generation of electrochemical energy storage. Beyond generating fundamental scientific knowledge, we aim to demonstrate the viability of these new chemistries in functional full-cell demonstrators, creating the scientific proof of concept that bridges fundamental research and future technological innovation.
Our Approach
Developing entirely new battery concepts requires expertise spanning the full spectrum of battery research. POLiS brings together researchers in theoretical and synthetic chemistry, electrochemistry, materials science, physics, engineering, production science, safety research, sustainability assessment, modelling and data science. By integrating these disciplines within a highly collaborative research environment, we investigate batteries across multiple length and time scales—from atomic interactions and interfacial processes to complete cells and their manufacturing.
This interdisciplinary approach is supported by state-of-the-art research facilities, comprehensive data stewardship and digital research methods that accelerate scientific discovery and ensure reproducible, high-quality research. Together, these capabilities enable us to translate fundamental insights into functional full-cell demonstrators, providing a robust scientific foundation for future battery technologies and facilitating their further development towards practical applications.
Partners and People
POLiS brings together leading researchers from three partner universities, combining complementary expertise across the full spectrum of battery research. Learn more about our partner institutions and the people driving scientific discovery in sustainable post-lithium energy storage.