Powering Up the COE’s Battery Initiative
The inaugural NC State Battery and Energy Storage Systems Symposium brought together faculty, researchers, industry partners and students to explore emerging applications in batteries and energy-storage technologies.
March 17, 2026 
Staff
With the continued growth of the battery industry in North Carolina, there is an urgent need for battery engineering research, education and innovation in the state — and with a range of battery expertise and connections with industry partners, NC State University is well positioned to lead the way.
The inaugural NC State Battery and Energy Storage Systems Symposium brought together faculty, researchers, industry partners and students to explore emerging applications in batteries and energy-storage technologies.
The symposium is one of the first organizing efforts put together by NC State’s Battery and Energy Storage Systems Initiative. Co-led by Hooks Distinguished Professor Veronica Augustyn and Alumni Distinguished Graduate Professor Peter Fedkiw, the initiative launched in 2025 with the goal of making NC State the premier center for battery and energy storage systems engineering, teaching and research in the state of North Carolina.
“From my perspective, an initiative such as this is a logical next step for a college that has such amazing strengths all the way from molecular and nanoscale engineering of new electrolyte materials to integration of batteries within the energy grid,” said Jim Pfaendtner, Louis Martin-Vega Dean of Engineering. “A college of our size and scale is a one-stop shop for next-generation battery and energy storage work.”
Energized Expertise
For decades, NC State researchers have made advancements in a range of batteries and energy storage systems related areas.
The symposium – and more broadly, the initiative – brought these interdisciplinary researchers together to strategically guide the college and university in pursuing battery research, developing battery education curriculum and strengthening industry-university partnerships.
Twenty-one faculty members from seven engineering departments presented their relevant research during lightning talks, with topics including non-toxic batteries, quantum batteries and self-driving labs for materials discovery. Twenty-eight students and postdoctoral researchers presented posters on their ongoing research.
“NC State has the breadth and depth of expertise in batteries, ranging from atomic-scale characterization of electrochemical interfaces to integration of battery energy storage systems into the power grid,” Augustyn said.
Meeting Industry Workforce Needs
North Carolina is becoming a hotspot for battery production and innovation. The state leads the U.S. in the production of lithium minerals, and its battery sector is growing with the arrival of Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina and Forge Nano, among others.
The state’s largest investment is from Toyota, which opened its first in-house battery manufacturing plant outside of Japan in Liberty, North Carolina, in the fall of 2025. The $14 billion facility will create up to 5,100 new jobs.
Don Stewart, president of Toyota Battery Manufacturing North Carolina and region seven group vice president, delivered one of two keynote speeches at the event.
“We do believe the future of electrification is right here in North Carolina,” he said during his remarks.
NC State is training future engineers who are prepared to work on batteries and energy storage systems. The college recently hired Shelby Pillai, an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, to develop new battery courses that will involve both lectures and hands-on lab activities.
These courses will help meet industry workforce needs, which was a common theme throughout the panels and keynotes led by North Carolina’s battery and energy storage systems industry leaders.
As a land grant institution with a mission grounded in impact, NC State is playing a key part in making a future powered by batteries and energy storage systems a reality by translating research into solutions.
“The Battery and Energy Storage Initiative embodies this mission by bringing together faculty expertise across engineering, science and manufacturing to address the full life cycle of energy storage technologies,” said Chancellor Kevin Howell in his remarks. “North Carolina is uniquely positioned to lead in this space. Our state has become a national hub for battery production, energy innovation and advanced manufacturing. We are deeply proud to partner with many of the organizations that are with us today working in this arena.”