Powering Britain's
Battery Revolution
Powering Britain's
Battery Revolution
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Louise Gould
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HARWELL, UK (16 June 2026) The Faraday Institution and the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) to deepen UK-Japan collaboration in battery research and related enabling technologies under JST’s Green Technologies of Excellence (GteX) Programme.
The MoC was signed by Dr Kazuhito Hashimoto, President, Japan Science and Technology Agency, and Professor Martin Freer, CEO, the Faraday Institution, at a ceremony held on 14 June 2026 at Number 10 Downing Street.
The signing coincides with a visit by the Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to the UK to hold bilateral talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of the G7 summit in France.
Today’s agreement builds on the success of our earlier UK-Japan fellowship programme and marks an important next step in our partnership with JST. By connecting outstanding researchers, facilities and ideas across our two countries, we can accelerate the development of the batteries and energy storage technologies needed for a competitive future.”
Professor Martin Freer, CEO, Faraday Institution
This Memorandum of Cooperation with the Faraday Institution reflects our shared ambition to advance world‑leading battery research through international collaboration. We look forward to deepening our engagement with UK partners and creating new opportunities for researchers in both countries.”
Dr Kazuhito Hashimoto, President of JST
This collaboration is a good example of the Modern Industrial Strategy in action. Prioritising strategic international partnerships and innovation through joint research and technology development will drive deeper economic ties for mutual supply chain resilience.”
Dr Valentina Gentili, Director of the Battery Innovation Programme, Innovate UK
Building on the successful UK-Japan Energy Storage Research Fellowships, previously funded by the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) and jointly developed by GteX and the Faraday Institution, the new MoC provides a framework for longer-term scientific cooperation between the two organisations. The fellowships have already helped to create strong links between UK and Japanese researchers, laboratories and partner institutions, demonstrating the value of targeted researcher mobility and joint activity.
Under the MoC, the Faraday Institution and JST intend to explore a range of collaborative activities, including researcher exchanges, shared access to facilities where feasible, joint thematic workshops and expert meetings, and the co-development of collaborative projects and roadmaps in areas such as next‑generation battery chemistries. The MoC signals a shared commitment to support excellent science, talent development and international connectivity across the battery innovation ecosystem.
Photo caption: Signing ceremony in the garden of Number 10 Downing Street (left to right): Dr Yasuyoshi Kakita, Vice-Minister for Policy Coordination of MEXT, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Dr Kazuhito Hashimoto, President, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Professor Martin Freer, CEO, the Faraday Institution, and Lord Stockwood, UK Minister for Investment.
Notes to Editors
About the Faraday Institution
The Faraday Institution is the UK’s independent institute for electrochemical energy storage research, skills development, market analysis, and early-stage commercialisation. Bringing together expertise from universities and industry, the Faraday Institution endeavours to make the UK the go-to place for the research and development of new electrical storage technologies for both the automotive and wider relevant sectors. Headquartered at the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, the Faraday Institution is a registered charity with an independent board of trustees and is primarily funded by the Battery Innovation Programme.
About the Battery Innovation Programme
The Battery Innovation Programme, which is delivered by Innovate UK for the Department of Business and Trade, is a £452 million programme running from 2026 to 2030. It is designed to grow the UK economy by accelerating battery innovation and enhancing the nation’s global competitiveness across automotive, aerospace, off-highway, storage and maritime.
About the Japan Science and Technology Agency
The Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) is a national research and development agency that plays a central role in the Science, Technology and Innovation Basic Plan of Japan and aims to promote science and technology. In order to promote science and technology and provide solutions to social issues, JST comprehensively implements diverse projects in collaboration with universities, research institutions, and industries, and makes contributions to the sustainable development of society and the creation of science, technology, and innovation.
About the Green Technologies of Excellence Program
In FY2023, JST launched the Green Technologies of Excellence (GteX) Program, and has promoted R&D in the areas of storage batteries, hydrogen, and biomanufacturing with an awareness of final systems leading to social implementation under a team-based research system in which top-level researchers in Japan collaborate with each other. GteX aims to contribute to the realization of the Green Transformation by fully harnessing the high potential and accumulation of basic research capabilities in Japan’s academia. This program supports R&D and human resource development at universities and national institutes in Japan, focusing on creating innovative technology seeds and nurturing human resources.
Posted on June 16, 2026