SOLiTHOR appoints new CEO for solid state battery roll out

Solid state battery material developer SOLiTHOR in Belgium has appointed a new chief executive officer as the company moves to industry adoption.

Rodrigo Navarro (above) is to replace co-founder Huw Hampson-Jones in the spin out of imec as the company moves to the development of a 10Ah solid state battery cell. It has already shown a 3Ah lithium metal cell using its solid state electrolyte material. The company is aiming for an energy density of 850Wh/l for the solid state battery technology.

Navarro is a veteran of the battery industry with almost 20 years’ experience in the EV battery supply chain. He has worked for global multinationals such as Philips, NXP and DSM.

“My priority will be setting up new strategic partnerships and collaborations in order to advance the commercialisation of SOLiTHOR’s technology. I’m very much looking forward to this venture and the exciting new breakthroughs that are happening in SOLiTHOR’s battery technology platform,” said Navarro.

He plans to grow relationships with developers, industry partners and investors with the aim of adopting SOLiTHOR’s technology in major aviation, maritime, automotive and aerospace companies to build demonstrable battery systems as well as generating sales at the next level. The company already has a deal with Sonaca for electric aircraft.

“I’m looking forward to working closely with Rodrigo. It is thanks to the continuous hard work of our R&D team in collaboration with my co-founder Huw Hampson-Jones that SOLiTHOR has demonstrated the solid foundation of its technology over the past three years,” said CTO and Co-founder, Dr. Fanny Bardé

“The advancements made include major improvements in cyclability, energy density, and industrialisation readiness of our proprietary solid electrolyte, making SOLiTHOR one of the world’s leaders in the solid-state battery sector. Our vision is to transform the future of travel by enabling the sustainable electrification of vehicles.”

“The appointment of Rodrigo, with his skills and expertise, allows the company to expand and upscale its solid-state cell and battery systems technology to meet the needs of its target markets. This in turn will allow Europe to secure this technology and IPR to underpin its independence of supply and lessen its dependency on Asia and North America. SOLiTHOR’s solid-state technology will assist Europe to secure its territorial integrity to supply the Defence, Aviation and Maritime sectors,” said Hampson-Jones.