Topping-Out Ceremony Marks Major Milestone for the FFB Fab in Münster-Amelsbüren
Our TECH.LAND partner Fraunhofer FFB has reached a significant construction milestone on the path toward large-scale battery cell production in Europe.
On 13 July 2026, the topping-out ceremony for the »FFB Fab« took place in Münster-Amelsbüren, marking the next step in the development of one of Germany's largest research infrastructure projects. The event followed the ground-breaking in spring 2025 and the laying of the foundation stone last autumn, and brought together senior representatives from federal and state government alongside the project's scientific and industrial partners.
Among those attending were NRW Minister President Hendrik Wüst, Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space Dorothee Bär, Deputy Minister President and NRW Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy Mona Neubaur, the Mayor of the City of Münster Tilman Fuchs, and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Board Member for Research Infrastructures and Digitalisation Prof. Dr. Axel Müller-Groeling. As part of the traditional ceremony, guests and the institute's leadership — Prof. Dr. Jens Tübke and Prof. Dr. Simon Lux — symbolically drove in the ceremonial nails.
A Research Infrastructure of European Significance
Once completed, the »FFB Fab« will provide more than 20,000 square metres of fully digitalised, gigawatt-scale production and research space, in which sustainable and economically viable manufacturing processes for current and future battery cell technologies will be developed for large-scale industrial production.
Combined with the already operational »FFB PreFab« — where more than 140 researchers are advancing industry-near battery cell manufacturing since 2024 — the site in Münster-Amelsbüren will span the complete journey from fundamental research to gigascale production, on a total area of around 56,000 square metres. Together, the two facilities close a critical gap in the European battery value chain: the bridge between laboratory-scale research and industrial-scale manufacturing.
The federal government and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia are jointly investing close to one billion euros in the overall project, with the Federal Ministry contributing up to €750 million and the state of NRW around €320 million as the project's building authority. The Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft leads the consortium, together with partners including the MEET Battery Research Center at the University of Münster, the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM) at RWTH Aachen University, and the Helmholtz Institute Münster, a branch of Forschungszentrum Jülich.
Voices from the Ceremony
Speaking at the event, Münster's Mayor Tilman Fuchs highlighted the site's role in the wider innovation landscape: "The FFB connects top-tier research with industrial application — the heart of BatteryCity Münster."
Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär underlined the project's strategic importance for Germany and Europe, describing the FFB as a flagship measure of the Hightech Agenda Deutschland and the FFB Fab as the foundation for a strong European battery industry. NRW Minister President Hendrik Wüst pointed to the project's role in bridging research, piloting and industrial scale-up, calling it a strong signal to industry and European partners alike.
Why This Matters for the TECH.LAND Region
Battery technology is one of the key enabling technologies for the energy and mobility transition — on both sides of the Dutch-German border. As a cross-border innovation network spanning Twente and Münsterland/NRW, TECH.LAND follows developments like the FFB Fab closely: research infrastructure of this scale, located directly within our network's footprint, strengthens the wider innovation ecosystem that connects universities, research institutions and companies across the region.
We congratulate Fraunhofer FFB, its institute leadership, and all partners and public authorities involved in bringing this milestone to life. We look forward to following the site's progress as it moves toward completion.
Photo (l–r): Fraunhofer FFB Director Prof. Dr. Jens Tübke, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Board Member for Research Infrastructures and Digitalisation Prof. Dr. Axel Müller-Groeling, Federal Research Minister Dorothee Bär, NRW Minister President Hendrik Wüst, Deputy Minister President and NRW Minister for Economic Affairs Mona Neubaur, NRW.URBAN Managing Director Henk Brockmeyer, Mayor of the City of Münster Tilman Fuchs, Fraunhofer FFB Director Prof. Dr. Simon Lux, Carpus + Partner Architect Thomas Habscheid-Führer.