Ilika Plc (LON:IKA), the UK pioneer in solid-state battery technology, has announced it is receiving further grant support to manufacture the first Goliath A-Sample batteries for automotive applications. This support is being provided from the newly launched Demonstrate fund, facilitated by the Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC), in a 12-month, £3 million collaboration programme, of which Ilika will receive £1.25 million in grant funding. The programme which will commence on 1 August 2025 will see Ilika partner with HSSMI, a UK based manufacturing consultancy and utilise the electrode production lines at the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC).
This project, codenamed PRIMED builds upon the developments in the Faraday Battery Challenge, now renamed Battery Innovation Programme, project HISTORY, where Ilika developed a prototype 50Ah SSB, and the APC’s Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) programme SiSTEM, which designed and built an SSB assembly line and undertook production trials of Ilika’s electrodes on the giga-scale line at UKBIC. In PRIMED, Ilika will build and test its P2 SSB cells and take them through an industrialisation process to deliver a 50Ah A-Sample. HSSMI will produce a Production Scale Model and Business Case Review to support industrialisation to a gigafactory level.
Graeme Purdy, CEO of Ilika, said: “This project is the natural progression from our successful HISTORY and SiSTEM projects and will enable us to deliver robust 50Ah batteries to the automotive industry, having undertaken full testing to substantiate the USPs of Goliath. Working with HSSMI will allow us to digitally twin giga-scale production, which will be of paramount interest to our potential licensees. The next 12 months promise to be fast-paced and transformational for Goliath and Ilika.”
Axel Bindel, Executive Director of HSSMI, said “We are proud to partner with Ilika on the PRIMED project, which represents a critical step toward the scale up and commercialisation of solid-state battery technology in the UK. At HSSMI, our role in producing a Production Scale Model and Business Case Review will support the strategic industrialisation of Ilika’s Goliath technology. By leveraging digital manufacturing expertise and working alongside leading industry stakeholders, we aim to accelerate the path to giga-scale readiness and reinforce the UK’s position at the forefront of battery innovation.”
Richard LeCain, Chief Technology Officer of UKBIC, said: “Following on from the successful trials of electrode production at UKBIC we are delighted that Ilika has chosen to manufacture its first batch of Goliath A-Samples at our facility. This is a major milestone for Ilika and the UK, and UKBIC is proud to be a part of this important step towards giga-scale manufacture of solid-state batteries in the UK and deployment worldwide.”
Ian Constance, CEO of the APC, said “This funding award aligns perfectly with our commitment to transform the automotive sector through innovative zero-emission and CAM vehicle technologies. By continuing to prioritise collaboration between industry, government, and academia, we can support research and development, vehicle innovation, and unlock capital investment in manufacturing plants and their wider supply chains.”
