Women in Batteries – Rocío García

Rocío García, Communication & Dissemination Manager for the TEMPEST Project

What is your role as Communication and Dissemination Manager?
My job is to make sure the project is understandable and visible beyond the technical community. We translate complex research into clear messages for citizens, policymakers, students, and industry. This includes managing the website and social media, preparing articles and videos, organizing events, and supporting partners when they present results. Communication is not just promotion it is engagement.

Why is communication important in European research projects?
Public funding supports these projects, so results should be accessible to society. Communication helps explain how research improves daily life, from cleaner transport to reliable energy systems. It also builds trust and encourages collaboration with industry, education, and public authorities. When people understand the value of research, adoption becomes easier and impact increases.

How does TEMPEST support women in STEM and batteries?
We actively promote gender inclusion across our activities. Women researchers and engineers from the consortium participate in interviews, workshops, and outreach events, especially with students and young professionals. We also collected feedback from women working in the battery field to understand barriers they still face, such as visibility and career progression.

Action plan for women in research, innovation and start-ups

The EU’s action plan for women in research, innovation and startups will address persistent gender gaps and promote diversity, equality and inclusiveness in the European Research Area (ERA). The plan aims to make the ERA the world’s most attractive place for women to work in research, innovation and startups by 2030.

The TEMPEST project is supporting the European discussion on women’s participation in research, innovation and entrepreneurship by contributing to the European Commission’s initiative on Women in Research, Innovation and Start-ups. As part of this process, women researchers and professionals from the TEMPEST consortium shared their perspectives and experiences, providing feedback on barriers, opportunities and concrete measures that could improve participation and career progression in battery research and related STEM fields.


Share your views and contribute to a more inclusive research community via #EUHaveYourSay by February 23.

Milestones 8 and 9 Achieved: From Digital Design to Experimental Validation

The TEMPEST Project has successfully completed two major technical achievements that advance its digital design tools and experimental verification strategy.

Milestone 8: Development and Validation of Advanced Simulation Models

As part of Milestone 8, advanced finite-element (FE) models of critical parts and demonstrators have been developed and validated against experimental results. These validated models now serve as reliable digital tools that allow the project team to virtually optimise manufacturing processes and assess component performance before physical production.

Using these simulation capabilities, the team can:

  • Predict impact behaviour, vibration response, and mechanical performance under environmental degradation
  • Refine structural designs to enhance performance and durability
  • Significantly reduce the number of physical tests required, lowering development costs
  • Support the design of safer and lighter structures

The integration of validated digital models is a key step toward accelerating design cycles and improving overall project efficiency.

Milestone 9: Comprehensive Experimental Campaign and Model Validation

Milestone 9 focused on an extensive series of experimental tests designed to evaluate material and component behaviour across a wide range of conditions. The experimental campaign included:

  • Mechanical testing of the composite battery housing material in tension, compression, bending, and shear
  • Impact testing using drop-tower experiments to assess resistance and failure modes
  • Moisture absorption testing and correlation with property degradation
  • Battery cell testing, covering electrochemical performance, thermal behaviour, and ageing
  • Validation tests on sheet moulding compound (SMC) plates and assembled battery housings

These experimental activities enabled thorough evaluation of strength, stiffness, impact resistance, moisture effects, safety performance, and ageing characteristics. A major outcome was the validation of the FE simulation models with experimental data, demonstrating strong agreement between numerical predictions and physical measurements. This alignment significantly increases confidence in the digital design tools developed within the project.

The successful completion of Milestones 8 and 9 confirms that the project’s simulation and testing methodologies are effective, verified, and ready for final optimisation and industrial deployment.

TEMPEST General Assembly Held in Ljubljana

GA M26

The TEMPEST consortium held its General Assembly on June 24-25, 2025, at the National Institute of Chemistry in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The two-day meeting brought project partners together to review progress, discuss key topics, and plan upcoming tasks.

The meeting started with a welcome by TEMPEST Project Coordinator Jeremy Warren, who also presented updates on project administration, including risks, intellectual property classification, and finances. The session on the demonstrator’s overall architecture followed. Discussions covered the manufacturing planning, and demonstrator assembly and integration.

Day two included sessions on demonstrator validation, testing, and simulation, followed by Dissemination, Communication, and exploitation led by Sustainable Innovations. The assembly concluded with final remarks and a summary by Jeremy Warren.

The event was held at the National Institute of Chemistry (Kemijski Inštitut), in Ljubljana. The partners left the meeting with a clear understanding of the project status and upcoming activities.

Women in Batteries – SIE

Carla Sebastiani is the Exploitation & IP Manager of the TEMPEST project. She is currently working on the TEMPEST project and Business Development Manager at Sustainable Innovations. 

What is your work at the TEMPEST project about?

My work in the TEMPEST project focuses on acting as the Exploitation & IP Manager of the project, responsible for overseeing the correct identification and definition of the Key Exploitable Results, providing solid plans for the exploitation of these results after the project’s lifetime, and including ownership agreements, joint exploitation agreements, and potential IP protection schemes for the project’s technologies.

What advice would you give to young women who are considering a career in the battery industry or other STEM fields?

Do not be afraid to jump into the unknown. Historically, STEM has been a man-dominated field, but it does not mean that it must remain that way. Every year more and more women follow their dreams into STEM careers, if it’s the way you want to go, just do it, I promise you will find your way into the world.

What do you think are the biggest challenges women face in the battery industry, and how can they be addressed?

One of the main challenges we face is that there is still a long way to go to make it possible to combine having a career in STEM and also having a family. Many countries continue to move towards a positive change, implementing longer and paid maternal (and paternal) leaves among other measures, but we need to boost this at European level in order to have more women involved in all fields, and especially at high career levels.  

TEMPEST Project Consortium Holds Successful Online Review Meeting

The TEMPEST Project consortium recently held an online review meeting to assess the progress and achievements of the project over the past one and a half years. This milestone event brought together project partners, who presented the results obtained, shared key insights, and highlighted the valuable lessons learned throughout the journey so far. The meeting was a testament to the dedication and collaboration of all partners involved, showcasing the significant strides made in advancing the project’s objectives. 
 
A special thank you was extended to Martha Gialampouki for her insights and feedback, which have been instrumental in shaping the project’s direction and success. As we reflect on the progress made, we are excited to continue our efforts and share more updates with our stakeholders. We look forward to connecting with you at the upcoming RTR Conference next month, where we will further discuss the project’s developments and future plans.

 

The TEMPEST Project at the 8th European Conference on Results from Road Transport Research

RTR 2025 Conference

Join Jeremy Warren, TEMPEST project coordinator, as he speaks at the RTR Conference 2025, an event showcasing significant results and scientific achievements of EU-funded road transport research projects. The conference, held from February 11-13, 2025, at The EGG, Brussels, marks its 8th edition, offering a unique platform to explore the impact of these projects.

This year’s event is organized by ERTRAC (European Road Transport Research Advisory Council), 2Zero, the CCAM Association, and the European Commission, with BEPA joining the event team to highlight impressive research outcomes.

Participants will learn about the results and anticipated impacts of Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects, covering key areas such as Green Vehicles, Urban Mobility, Logistics, Intelligent Transport Systems, Safety, and Automated Road Transport. The conference aims to provide a comprehensive overview of advancements in these fields, showcasing benefits for the environment, economy, and European society.

Key Session: February 11, 16:30 – 18:45

In the session titled High-performance and Safe-by-Design Next Generation Battery Systems for Road Transport Applications, TEMPEST will present alongside EU-INGENIOuS projects EXTENDED, VERSAPRINT, NEXTBAT, and BATSS.

 

 

Register Here

Horizon Results Booster

The TEMPEST Project has successfully completed Service 1.1 of the Booster, which includes the development of key tools: the Readiness Assessment and the Service Roadmap. Further updates will follow as the project progresses.

 

TEMPEST Project Consortium Gathers in Athens

The TEMPEST Project consortium gathered in Athens, Greece, with the University of Patras hosting the event. Over the course of two days, November 14-15, project partners presented key insights and findings from their recent work, highlighting the progress made during this period. Updates of the different work packages were shared throughout the event.

 

TEMPEST Project Showcases Innovations at European Battery Technology Collaboration Meeting

The TEMPEST project was honored to participate in the collaboration meeting hosted by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) in partnership with the Batteries European Partnership Association (BEPA) and the European Green Vehicles Initiative Association (EGVIA). This event, held in Petten, Netherlands, last October 23, was part of the 2Zero initiative aimed at advancing zero-emission transport solutions. The project was represented by our coordinator, Jeremy Warren.

The meeting served as an excellent platform to exchange insights on next-generation battery technologies, testing methodologies, and sustainability strategies. Jeremy Warren showcased the TEMPEST project’s contributions, highlighting recent advancements and engaging in discussions with other European initiatives, including BATSS EU, NEXTBAT, EXTENDED, and VERSAPRINT EU.