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Umicore enters AI agreement with Microsoft to research EV battery materials

April 06, 2024

Umicore, a materials technology and recycling company, has entered into an agreement with Microsoft to utilize artificial intelligence (AI) to facilitate and accelerate its research on battery materials technologies for electric vehicles. This partnership will leverage AI to assist scientists in developing new battery materials, enabling a faster market launch and a more cost-effective development process.

The AI platform for Battery Materials will utilize Azure OpenAI Service, enriched with a multitude of specific and unprecedented scientific AI models. It will be operated in Umicore’s proprietary environment with full intellectual property security. Umicore will create a custom AI environment that will analyze, synthesize, and compile decades of vast and complex data from Umicore’s exclusive battery materials research and development. It will also combine Umicore’s data with historical external data and information on the latest technologies from various sources, including simulation models, experiments, or images.

For many years, Umicore has used material, process, and data modeling as essential tools for product development. AI and machine learning have added a new dimension in recent years and have already enabled Umicore to file the first AI-based patents in the field of battery materials.

Umicore’s innovations and technologies in EV battery materials are intended for the entry-level or small car segment, the mass segment of mid-size cars, and the high-end or prestige car segment, with technologies ranging from NMC (nickel, manganese, and cobalt) to HLM (high lithium manganese) and future solid and sodium-ion battery technologies.

Mathias Miedreich, CEO of Umicore, stated, “Umicore aims to maximize the vast battery technology expertise it has acquired since it began studying battery materials in the mid-1990s. With Microsoft’s support, Umicore will be at the forefront of applying AI as a tool for our battery-specialized scientists to save time, efficiency, and scale in our innovations, while protecting our intellectual property in this important R&D area. This will help us fully exploit all relevant internal and external data, formulate new materials more intelligently, and stay at the forefront of understanding and anticipating customer needs in this fast-growing market.”