Waygate Technologies and the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) sign Memorandum of Understanding to accelerate electrification and battery deployment

HUERTH, Germany, and COVENTRY, United Kingdom, July 26, 2022 – Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre(UKBIC), a national manufacturing development facility providing battery manufacturing scale-up and skills for the battery sector.

The aim of this MoU is to accelerate battery technology development by combining UKBIC’s pioneering manufacturing research facility and Waygate Technologies’ deep domain knowledge as a world-class provider of digital industrial computed tomography (CT) inspection solutions to deliver a digital twin, optimizing the production of all types of batteries and the yield of gigafactories.

UKBIC plays a key role in supporting the UK’s development of battery technology and nurturing skills for the transition to a greener future, supporting the wider national electrification agenda.

Waygate Technologies has proven experience in the battery packs and Lithium-ion cell inspection industry as well as in research centers for leading global customers. Both parties recognize battery packs and inspection as a key capability that will continue to drive future technology investment.

Russ Burke, UKBIC’s Head of Quality, said. “We’re delighted to be signing this Memorandum of Understanding, marking our collaboration with Waygate Technologies. This signing has the potential to ultimately lead to marked improvements in our manufacturing and process qualities, something that will benefit the industry as a whole.”

“The evolving battery industry is one of the strategic growth areas for us, and we are very pleased to be partners in this pioneering project to develop holistic battery technology for more sustainable mobility,” said Nicola Jannis, CEO at Waygate Technologies “Through this cooperation, we will accelerate our technology roadmap of leading industrial and digital solutions for the battery and Lithium-ion cell industry, and we are excited to reach new customers through the UK cell and battery ecosystem,” Nicola added.

For Waygate Technologies, the agreement seals another milestone in the business’ strategy to strengthen its leading position in battery inspection and drive innovation that aims to enhance electric vehicle safety, productivity and competitiveness for its customers. As part of Baker Hughes, an energy technology company, the mission of Waygate Technologies’ inspection solutions is to make electric mobility safer and more efficient for people and the planet by reducing resource waste.

UKBIC plays a vital role in the UK Government’s Faraday Battery Challenge (FBC), a national UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) led programme to bring together research, development and scale-up, including supply chain and manufacturing development, in order to help organizations seize opportunities presented by the move to a low carbon economy.

Press release and image material for download:

The image material is freely available for editorial use. Please note the source: Waygate Technologies.

Description: UKBIC and Waygate Technologies agree on a long-term partnership regarding the acceleration of technology readiness and drive innovation for battery pack and cell inspection [Left to right Carmine Fiume, Regional Key Accounts Director for Baker Hughes; Russ Burke, Head of Quality for UK Battery Industrialisation Centre; Stephen Alderton, Lead Sales Specialist at Baker Hughes; Jeff Pratt, Managing Director of UK Battery Industrialisation Centre; and Paul Perera, Strategy and Technology Operations Director at Baker Hughes]

Description: Jeff Pratt, Managing Director of UK Battery Industrialisation Centre and Carmine Fiume, Regional Key Accounts Director for Baker Hughes

About Waygate Technologies

Waygate Technologies, a Baker Hughes business, is an industrial inspection solutions provider and the world leader in nondestructive testing (NDT) ensuring safety, quality and productivity. We combine more than 125 years of experience and a collection of heritage brands including Krautkrämer, phoenix|x-ray, Seifert, Everest and Agfa NDT. Today, hundreds of brands in the automotive, aviation, space exploration, electronics, energy, battery and additive industries trust our technologies. We drive digital transformation through a broad portfolio of award-winning hardware and software solutions in industrial radiography and computed tomography (CT), remote visual inspection (RVI), ultrasound (UT), eddy current, robotic inspection, and data management. Headquartered in Germany, Waygate Technologies is part of the Digital Solutions segment of Baker Hughes (NASDAQ: BKR). Inspection starts here: waygate-tech.com

About UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC)

The £130 million UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) battery manufacturing development centre was opened by the Prime Minister in July 2021. The unique national facility provides the missing link between battery technology, which has proved promising at laboratory or prototype scale, and successful mass production. Based in Coventry, UKBIC welcomes manufacturers, entrepreneurs, researchers and educators, and can be accessed by any organisation with existing or new battery technology – if that technology brings green jobs and prosperity to the UK. In addition to funding from the Faraday Battery Challenge through UK Research and Innovation, UKBIC is part-funded through the West Midlands Combined Authority. ​ The facility was delivered through a consortium of Coventry City Council, Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership and WMG, at the University of Warwick, following a competition in 2018 led by the Advanced Propulsion Centre with support from Innovate UK. Learn more about UKBIC: www.ukbic.co.uk

Media Relations Contacts

Baker Hughes ​
​Sarah Rowson
​+44 7787 527372
​sarah.rowson@bakerhughes.com

UKBIC ​
​Richard Robinson
​+44 7503628892
​richard.robinson@ukbic.co.uk