As OPINCHARGE is approaching the final stage of the project, we are looking back at the key moments that shaped our journey. One of the most important milestones in our communication with the wider community was the launch of our first project newsletter — the very first public snapshot of OPINCHARGE’s vision, ambition, and early progress.

This article revisits Newsletter #1, which marked the official start of our outreach activities and introduced OPINCHARGE to the European battery research ecosystem.

Where It All Began

Newsletter #1 welcomed readers into the OPINCHARGE project and introduced its core mission: to advance the understanding of lithium-ion battery interfaces and charge transport mechanisms through cutting-edge, multidisciplinary research.

From the very first issue, OPINCHARGE was presented as a project aiming to bridge fundamental science and real-world battery applications, with a strong focus on performance, lifetime, and sustainability of energy storage technologies.

The newsletter also positioned OPINCHARGE within the broader Horizon Europe and Battery2030+ landscape, highlighting the project’s role in Europe’s long-term battery strategy.

First Milestones and Project Life

Newsletter #1 documented some of the earliest project milestones and community-building efforts, including:

• The second OPINCHARGE Biannual Meeting, hosted by PSI near Zurich

• OPINCHARGE’s presence at the Battery 2030+ Annual Conference in Grenoble

• The first insights from key partners such as LIST, CIDETEC, PSI, and CIC energiGUNE

These early activities reflected the project’s strong emphasis on collaboration, scientific excellence, and knowledge exchange from the very beginning.

Partner Insights: Building a Strong Consortium

A major feature of the first newsletter was the introduction of several project partners and their unique expertise:

• LIST, as project coordinator and leader in advanced instrumentation

• CIDETEC, contributing its strong application-driven battery research

• PSI, providing access to large-scale research infrastructures

• CIC energiGUNE, delivering advanced solid-state NMR expertise

These partner spotlights laid the foundation for understanding how OPINCHARGE combines complementary skills across Europe to tackle complex battery interface challenges.

Communication from Day One

Newsletter #1 also marked the start of OPINCHARGE’s structured communication and dissemination strategy. It introduced:

• The project’s visual identity

• The first digital promotional materials

• The newsletter as a long-term communication channel to accompany the project throughout its lifetime

This early focus on communication ensured that OPINCHARGE’s progress would be shared transparently with scientists, industry, policymakers, and the wider public.

The First Chapter of the OPINCHARGE Story

Looking back today, the first newsletter stands as the opening chapter of the OPINCHARGE story. It captured the project at a moment full of expectations, new collaborations, and shared scientific ambition.

What started as a promise in Newsletter #1 has now matured into a rich portfolio of experimental methods, modelling tools, scientific publications, and exploitable results that OPINCHARGE delivers as it approaches its completion.

Download OPINCHARGE Newsletter #1 

What’s Next?

While we look back at how it all began with Newsletter #1, OPINCHARGE is already preparing the fourth project newsletter. It will bring together the latest results, exploitation highlights, and a look ahead as the project reaches its conclusion.

Stay tuned — Newsletter #4 is coming soon. Subscribe today and don’t miss anything!