Reza Younesi develops next-generation batteries

At a time when many regarded battery-powered vehicles as doomed hype, Reza Younesi was convinced of their importance for the transition to a sustainable society.

“Twenty years ago, batteries were primarily thought of as something used in mobile phones and laptops. But a transition to battery-powered transport is a major step towards breaking our dependence on fossil fuels such as oil,” he says.

In 2006, Younesi came to Sweden to pursue a Master’s degree in materials chemistry at KTH, and two years later he became a doctoral student at Uppsala University. In 2025, he was appointed Professor at the Department of Chemistry – Ångström Laboratory; Structural Chemistry.

“It is an honour and a great joy to become a professor, but the title also comes with greater responsibility,” says Younesi.

Reduced dependence on oil

An important part of his motivation as a researcher stems from his background as a regime critic in Iran. Both his father and brother are political prisoners in the country.

“The less dependent the rest of the world becomes on oil, the less money flows to Iran, which is a brutal dictatorship largely financed by oil.”

At the same time, battery production itself needs to change in order to become truly sustainable.

“The batteries currently on the market come almost exclusively from Asia, so we need to enable local battery materials and cells production,” says Younesi.

This is why researchers are working to enable local, sustainable production of lithium-ion batteries and beyond lithium-ion batteries. The materials required for manufacturing are also available in the Nordic region.

Next-generation batteries

At the same time, many other criteria must be met for a battery to be considered sustainable. Younesi’s research focuses on developing a fundamental understanding of the challenges associated with sustainable energy storage systems, as well as exploring alternative materials and methods for next-generation batteries.

“It’s about material extraction, recyclability, minimising water use during production, and avoiding harmful substances such as PFAS,” he says.

Joint venture with companies

Three years ago, Younesi took on a new part-time position as Director of Material Technology at NOVO Energy – a joint venture between battery manufacturer Northvolt and Volvo Cars – which on a personal level meant moving with his family to Gothenburg. In 2025, however, Northvolt declared bankruptcy.

“It was a hard blow for both NOVO and the investment in local battery production,” says Younesi, who nevertheless remains firm in his belief in a battery-powered society.

“In the end, we will need to produce batteries in Europe in order to achieve the transition to a sustainable society – there is no alternative. We need to become independent from fossil fuels.”

The conditions are in place

Despite the challenges, Younesi is convinced that the conditions are in place, as long as those in power are willing to support local production of batteries.

“Even countries like China and South Korea had to start from scratch at some point. It is truly unfortunate that Northvolt went bankrupt, but we can enable local production of battery materials and battery cells in Europe,” he insists.

Sigrid Asker