Manufacturing or Innovating – Have we got the Balance Right?

Monday, 27 April 2026

We start this session block by examining the policy and strategic choices shaping battery manufacturing in the UK and Europe. While significant investment has gone into building world‑class innovation ecosystems, questions remain over whether enough emphasis has been placed on manufacturing capability, scale and industrial delivery.

This session takes a hard look at whether Europe is setting itself up to compete globally — and what role policy, investment and international collaboration must play in building a resilient battery supply chain.

Discussion Points:

• Whether policy makers need to rebalance priorities from innovation towards manufacturing and scale
• How strong manufacturing capability enables, rather than limits, long‑term innovation
• Whether Europe should compete with, collaborate with, or learn directly from Asian manufacturers