The agreement aims to strengthen ties between Europe’s and Japan’s evolving battery sectors to enhance competitiveness in both regions. It establishes a framework for collaboration on recycling and circularity, data-sharing, talent development and cross-industry cooperation. Together, the partners aim to accelerate innovation, reduce strategic dependencies and strengthen the global position of their industries.
“From closer collaboration on skills training to new joint work on black mass recycling, this industry-led MoU opens new growth opportunities for both European and Japanese companies, along our respective battery value chains” said Stéphane Séjourné, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy. “It thus helps to reduce our respective strategic dependencies and deepens our EU-Japan cooperation towards a cleaner and more circular world.”
This collaboration follows the joint commitment by EU and Japanese leaders in Tokyo to enhance supply chain resilience, diversify critical minerals value chains and protect emerging technologies. It also supports the EU-Japan Green Alliance, reaffirmed at the July 2025 Tokyo Summit, which underscores the shared commitment to a global, clean transition and to increasing ambition on climate in this decisive decade.
Strategic areas of cooperation include:
Recycling: accelerate the market growth of black mass, a recycling intermediate, to promote horizontal recycling "from batteries to batteries".
Data-sharing: information exchange on battery data-sharing systems to promote circular economy on batteries.
Human resources: share information on educational initiatives and the development of highly skilled talent for the battery industry in both countries.
Cooperation on industry-wide developments: contribute to jointly organised exhibitions, academic conferences, and workshops organised by Japanese and European industry associations and alliances.
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