Romsey-based
Ilika has announced the start of its PRIMED programme, following its earlier update in July. The initiative commenced on 1 August, 2025 and aims to accelerate the industrialisation of next-generation solid-state electric vehicle batteries.
Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Professor Paul Shearing of
Oxford University have joined the steering committee, alongside existing partner
HSSMI.
The programme is supported by the
Advanced Propulsion Centre UK (APC) through its Demonstrate fund and will use the
UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) facilities to scale up production of 50Ah battery cells. PRIMED builds on two successful projects — the HISTORY programme, which developed a 50Ah solid-state prototype, and SiSTEM, which established assembly capabilities and conducted initial trials at UKBIC.
Graeme Purdy, Ilika Graeme Purdy said: “The launch of PRIMED marks a pivotal moment in Ilika’s journey towards commercial-scale solid-state battery production. Combining invaluable automotive expertise with UKBIC’s world-class facilities positions us strongly to accelerate the industrialisation of our Goliath technology for the rapidly evolving EV market.”
Axel Bindel, executive director of HSSMI, said: “We are delighted to commence this project and continue our relationship with Ilika. It signifies an important step in the development and manufacture of automotive-ready solid-state batteries, and we are thrilled to welcome the extended support from JLR and University of Oxford as part of the steering committee. The HSSMI team have already hit the ground running and we are excited to commence modelling of the cell production line.”
Paul Shearing, professor of sustainable energy engineering at the Department of Engineering Science and director of the ZERO Institute at Oxford University, said: “The development of next-generation battery chemistries is pivotal to our ‘net zero’ journey across a range of applications. Building on the success of the HISTORY programme, I am delighted to continue to support Ilika and HSSMI as a member of the steering committee for the PRIMED programme, which will take solid-state battery technology to the next phase of commercialisation.”