European researchers and start-ups are betting on nanoscale battery technology to help the continent catch up in an industry increasingly dominated by China, after high-profile failures at Sweden's Northvolt and Norway's Morrow raised fears that Europe had missed the boat. With demand for batteries set to grow as transport and industry electrify, but long development timelines and fierce Chinese competition making it a risky sector, firms are turning to techniques borrowed from the semiconductor industry to gain an edge.

Dutch company LeydenJar uses plasma deposition to build ultra-thin, pure silicon anodes that resist the cracking which normally limits silicon's use in batteries, promising up to 50% higher energy density; commercial-scale production is due to begin at the end of 2026 after a decade of development. Its factory is based in Eindhoven, home to chipmaking giant ASML, reflecting the close ties between semiconductor and battery innovation. Another Delft-based start-up, Powall, is developing atomic layer deposition equipment to apply nanoscale protective coatings to battery powder materials, aiming to slow degradation and allow promising but currently fragile new materials to become commercially viable.