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RHINOCEROS project showcases innovation at RENOVATE’s cluster workshop

19/05/2026

On 5 May 2026, members of the RHINOCEROS coordination team participated in the RENOVATE Clustering Workshop, “Circular batteries: pathways for an integrated value chain in Europe”, held in Milan. The event was organised by LOMARTOV, D&C leaders, together with INSTM, the project coordinator, and hosted by AFIL at the Innovhub SSI facilities. It gathered 58 participants onsite and 26 online, bringing together experts, policymakers, researchers and industry representatives to discuss the European battery value chain, with particular attention to circularity, sustainability and EU regulation.

EU policy perspectives and regulatory developments on batteries

The workshop opened with a policy session moderated by Eliana Quartarone, project coordinator of RENOVATE project. Keynote contributions were delivered by Martina Orefice (Scientific Policy Support for Critical Raw Materials, Joint Research Centre (JRC)), Joan Gonzalez Fabra (R&I Policy Officer, Batteries European Partnership Association), and Margherita Moreno (Permanent Researcher at ENEA and co-chair of the SET Plan IWG Batteries). Their presentations outlined the current state of EU batteries regulation and its implications for research and industrial activities across Europe.

For RHINOCEROS, the discussion provided a clear regulatory context for ongoing work on circular battery value chains and reinforced the importance of aligning technical development with emerging policy requirements.

Showcasing innovation across EU battery projects

RHINOCEROS was presented as part of the session dedicated to EU large-scale battery clustering initiatives in which RENOVATE is involved, including Battery 2030+ and the Cluster Hub “Materials for Batteries”. During this session, eight projects shared their approaches to battery circularity: AUTOMAT, CICERO, CIRCUBATT, GR4FITE3, RESPECT, RENOVATE, RHINOCEROS and BATMASS, the latter also covering broader segments of the battery value chain.
The participation of RHINOCEROS placed the project within a broader group of EU-funded actions working on similar or complementary parts of the battery system. Exchanges during the session allowed RHINOCEROS to position its work alongside related efforts, identify points of common interest with other projects, and contribute to a shared discussion on how circularity can be addressed across different stages of the European battery value chain.

Full recordings of the event are available on the RENOVATE YouTube channel.