Europe set out to build a battery industry at speed. Projects were announced across the region, capital followed, and the direction was clear. Turning that into delivery at scale has proven more difficult.

In this candid conversation, ACC’s former CEO — drawing on more than 40 years in the automotive industry, from engineering at Renault through to leading manufacturing and supply chain, and ultimately building one of Europe’s first gigafactories — reflects on the realities of developing battery manufacturing in Europe.

This session will look directly at where progress has stalled, why so many gigafactory projects have failed to materialise, and what the industry may have underestimated in trying to scale. It will explore how demand is evolving in practice, where real opportunities remain, and what it takes to build supply that is both competitive and sustainable.