Battery recycling innovation surging as countries seek to strengthen critical mineral supply and energy security

The number of lithium-ion and similar batteries reaching end-of-life is expected to rise sharply from the mid-2030s onwards, making managing battery waste safely and efficiently a key challenge. Companies, universities and public research centers are responding by accelerating innovation to recycle critical raw materials and reduce reliance on primary mining, while mitigating the environmental impact.

According to a new study published today by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the International Energy Agency (IEA), international patent families (IPFs)[1] related to battery circularity recorded an average annual growth rate of 42% from 2017 to 2023. This figure compares with 16% for rechargeable battery manufacturing overall and 2% for all technical fields during the same period.

"Innovation in battery circularity technologies is key to securing resources, strengthening competitiveness and reducing environmental impact," said EPO President António Campinos. "As this field becomes increasingly important in global resource systems, regions that combine strong industrial ecosystems, supportive policy frameworks and access to recycling feedstock will be well positioned to lead the circular battery economy. Europe brings many of these elements together, with a diverse innovation ecosystem and policy initiatives that provide a solid foundation for the development of circular battery value chains."

"In the age of electricity, batteries have become a cornerstone of energy security and industrial competitiveness, but their full value will only be realised if countries build strong circular systems around them," said IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol. "Accelerating innovation in recycling and reuse can ease pressure on critical mineral supply chains, reduce environmental impacts and create new economic opportunities. Europe has important strengths to build on, and this report highlights how targeted innovation and policy support can help position it at the forefront of a sustainable battery economy."

More than one in four cars sold globally in 2025 was an electric vehicle, reliant on lithium-ion or other modern batteries. But around 1.2 million electric vehicle batteries could reach the end of their lives in 2030 and 14 million in 2040, and today's supply chains for battery minerals and components are highly concentrated.

Battery circularity technologies - including recycling, reuse of batteries in vehicles and repurposing of batteries for new applications - can help solve these challenges. The EPO-IEA report draws on resources including the EPO's patent databases and IEA expert analysis to identify the main locations of patenting, the leading patent applicants and the key technology categories.

Energy storage, including batteries, now accounts for around 40% of all energy-related patenting and continues to grow rapidly. Patenting related to battery circularity is growing even faster than battery patenting in general, thanks to the rapid uptake of electric vehicles worldwide as well as legislation in Europe and China that makes companies responsible for end-of-life electric vehicle batteries.

Patent applicants from Asia accounted for 63% of IPFs in battery circularity in 2023. Until 2019, Japanese and Korean companies such as Toyota, LG and Sumitomo were the leading patent applicants in battery circularity, but they have been overtaken by Brunp of China. Brunp's growth has helped lift China's share of IPFs in battery circularity from 5% in 2013 to 29% in 2023. Chinese applicants are increasingly seeking patent protection outside of China in response to a bigger international market for battery circularity, adding to China's strong presence across different stages of the battery value chain.

European companies and research institutes account for roughly 20% of IPFs in battery circularity, with strong activity in technologies for the collection of used batteries and for chemical transformation to provide the raw materials for new batteries. This focus reflects Europe's current role more as a battery user than a producer. While growth in battery circularity has been faster in Asia, the report shows that innovation in Europe is also expanding. With targeted EU-level policy support, this activity could form the basis of a robust European battery circularity ecosystem.

The report is accompanied by an update in the existing EPO clean energy platform, with a new section dedicated to battery circularity. The EPO's Deep Tech Finder tool has also been updated to include the profiles of nearly 60 European startups and universities that sought patent protection for inventions in these areas since 2006. The beta version of the EPO Observatory's Data Desk shows how EPO patent data can be transformed into actionable intelligence, through a detailed cartography of energy storage technologies that enables in-depth analysis of the field. Additional mappings covering other critical technologies will be added in future updates.

Further information

• Full report: "Battery circularity: Innovation trends for a future source of critical materials"

• IEA's The State of Energy Innovation 2026

• The EPO clean energy platform now includes battery circularity

• The EPO's Deep Tech Finder (DTF)

• The EPO's Observatory on Patents and Technology

• Beta version Energy storage cartography

Media contacts European Patent Office

Roberta Romano-Götsch
EPO spokesperson

EPO press desk

[email protected]

Media contacts International Energy Agency

Merve Erdil

IEA Media Relations

IEA press desk

[email protected]

About the EPO

With 6 300 staff members, the European Patent Office (EPO) is one of the largest public service institutions in Europe. Headquartered in Munich with offices in Berlin, Brussels, The Hague and Vienna, the EPO was founded with the aim of strengthening cooperation on patents in Europe. Through the EPO's centralised patent granting procedure, inventors are able to obtain high-quality patent protection in up to 46 countries, covering a market of some 700 million people. The EPO is also the world's leading authority in patent information and patent searching.

About the IEA

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is at the heart of global dialogue on energy, providing authoritative analysis, data, policy recommendations, and real-world solutions to help countries bring about secure and sustainable energy for all. Taking an all-fuels, all-technologies approach, the IEA advocates policies that enhance the reliability, affordability and sustainability of energy. The IEA is supporting clean energy transitions all over the world in order to help achieve global sustainability goals.

[1] An IPF is a set of patent applications filed in several countries for the same invention.