The “Science Intelligence · Driving the Future: AI Empowering Power Battery Industry Innovation and Implementation” event was held on September 2, 2026, as a side event of the 2026 World Power Battery Conference. The event brought together representatives from leading enterprises, universities, research institutes, and science and innovation platforms to examine how artificial intelligence for science, known as AI4S, can deepen its integration with the power battery industry and accelerate innovation from fundamental research to industrial application.
Organized around the main line of “infrastructure—paradigm innovation—industrial application,” the event focused on the full chain of AI-enabled power battery development. Participants from CATL, BYD, GAC Aion, Xiaomi Group, Suzhou National Laboratory, and other institutions joined academic and industry representatives to share frontier results and discuss practical pathways for AI4S in the power battery sector. The agenda covered breakthroughs in cathode materials, anode-free batteries, all-solid-state batteries, foundation models, and industrial implementation, reflecting the growing role of AI in shaping the next stage of power battery innovation.
The event underscored that the power battery industry is not only a core support for new energy vehicles and the wider new energy system, but also one of the most promising main battlegrounds for AI empowerment. As the global power battery market continues to expand, competition is shifting from scale expansion toward technological differentiation, manufacturing efficiency, and faster iteration. In this context, the integration of AI and power battery research is attracting attention as a fundamental methodological change that can help the industry address long research and development cycles, high trial-and-error costs, and increasingly homogenized competition.
- Event Positions AI4S at the Center of Power Battery Innovation
The event placed AI4S at the center of discussions on power battery innovation. AI4S refers to the use of artificial intelligence to support scientific discovery, materials design, simulation, experimentation, and engineering optimization. For the power battery industry, this approach is seen as a way to connect basic research with industrial application more efficiently and to build a more systematic innovation pipeline.
Participants examined how AI4S can support the power battery industry across multiple layers. At the infrastructure layer, the focus is on data, computing power, models, and experimental platforms. At the paradigm innovation layer, the discussion centers on new research methods that combine AI models with scientific principles and experimental validation. At the industrial application layer, the attention turns to how these methods can be translated into power battery materials, cell designs, manufacturing processes, and product validation.
The event therefore served as a platform for linking the scientific intelligence community with the power battery industry. By bringing together universities, research institutes, enterprises, and innovation platforms, the event created space for cross-sector dialogue on how AI4S can be used to solve practical problems in power battery development. The participation of leading companies and research organizations highlighted the shared interest in accelerating the transition from AI-enabled scientific research to real-world power battery applications.
- Global Power Battery Market Context Highlights Scale and Competitive Pressure
The event took place against a backdrop of strong global momentum in the power battery industry. In H1 2026, among the top 10 global power battery installation companies, 7 were companies from China, with a combined market share of 72.4%. This data point reflects the scale and competitive position of China’s new energy battery industry and illustrates why the power battery sector has become a key arena for technological upgrading.
At the same time, the power battery industry faces mounting pressure. Homogenized competition is intensifying, research and development cycles remain long, and trial-and-error costs are high. These challenges are pushing companies and research institutions to seek new methods for materials discovery, cell design, process optimization, and performance validation. AI is increasingly viewed as a way to open new breakthrough pathways and support a more efficient innovation model for the power battery industry.
The event’s focus on AI4S reflected this shift. Rather than treating AI as a standalone digital tool, the discussion emphasized the integration of AI with scientific research, experimental platforms, and industrial data. For the power battery industry, such integration could help improve the efficiency of research and development, support more informed decision-making, and shorten the path from laboratory discovery to industrial deployment.
| Category | Detail |
|---|---|
| Event date | September 2, 2026 |
| Event context | Side event of the 2026 World Power Battery Conference |
| Main line | Infrastructure—paradigm innovation—industrial application |
| Global power battery installation in H1 2026 | Among the top 10 global power battery installation companies, 7 were companies from China |
| Combined market share | 72.4% for those 7 companies |
| Technology focus | Cathode materials, anode-free batteries, all-solid-state batteries, foundation models, and industrial implementation |
| Participating organizations | CATL, BYD, GAC Aion, Xiaomi Group, Suzhou National Laboratory, universities, research institutes, and science and innovation platforms |
| Recognition announced | The Yibin Science and Technology Bureau awarded DP Technology’s Yibin New Energy and New Materials Digital Intelligence Innovation Center the title “Yibin Municipal New-Type R&D Institution” |
- Breakthroughs Span Materials, Cell Architectures, and Foundation Models
The event showcased a broad set of power battery research directions where AI4S is expected to play a significant role. Cathode materials remain a central focus because they influence energy density, cost, safety, and cycle life. AI-enabled materials research can help researchers explore composition and structure more systematically, while experimental validation remains essential for translating candidate materials into practical power battery solutions.
Anode-free batteries and all-solid-state batteries were also highlighted as important frontiers. These technologies are associated with the next generation of power battery development, and they involve complex scientific and engineering challenges. The event’s discussion of these areas reflected the industry’s interest in using AI4S to support mechanism understanding, materials selection, interface design, and performance prediction. At the same time, the event emphasized that AI models must be connected with experimental platforms and industrial requirements to deliver meaningful progress in power battery technology.
Foundation models were another key topic. In the context of the power battery industry, foundation models can be understood as large-scale AI models that support a range of scientific and engineering tasks. When combined with domain data and scientific knowledge, such models may help researchers and engineers manage complexity across materials, cells, systems, and manufacturing processes. The event placed foundation models within the broader AI4S framework, linking them to infrastructure, paradigm innovation, and industrial application for the power battery sector.
The focus on industrial implementation was equally important. The event did not treat AI4S as a purely academic exercise. Instead, it examined how AI-enabled methods can be connected to real power battery production and application needs. This includes the use of data from research and manufacturing, the development of models that can support engineering decisions, and the creation of platforms that allow industry partners to collaborate with research institutions. For the power battery industry, the value of AI4S depends on its ability to support reliable, scalable, and practical innovation.
- Collaboration Platform Links Industry, Academia, and Research
The event gathered wisdom and resources from universities, research institutes, leading enterprises, and science and innovation platforms. This mix of participants reflected the collaborative nature of AI4S and the power battery industry. No single organization can address the full range of scientific, engineering, and industrial challenges involved in next-generation power battery development. Cross-sector cooperation is therefore essential for building a robust innovation ecosystem.
Participants shared frontier results, witnessed a major device release, and engaged in a roundtable dialogue. These activities helped create a high-quality exchange and cooperation platform for AI technology empowering the power battery industry. The combination of presentations, technology releases, and open discussion allowed participants to consider both the scientific foundations and the industrial pathways for AI4S in power battery research and application.
The event also highlighted the importance of infrastructure. AI4S requires high-quality data, computing resources, scientific models, and experimental validation platforms. For the power battery industry, infrastructure must connect materials research, cell development, testing, and manufacturing. Building such infrastructure requires long-term investment and coordination among research institutions, enterprises, and public platforms. The event’s main line placed infrastructure first, recognizing that paradigm innovation and industrial application depend on a strong foundation.
Paradigm innovation was presented as the bridge between infrastructure and application. AI4S is not simply about applying existing AI tools to existing workflows. It involves rethinking how scientific questions are formulated, how experiments are designed, how data are used, and how knowledge is accumulated. For the power battery industry, this paradigm shift may influence the way new materials are discovered, how cell performance is predicted, and how manufacturing processes are optimized.
Industrial application remains the ultimate test. The event emphasized that AI4S must demonstrate value in real power battery products and production systems. This requires close collaboration between AI researchers, materials scientists, battery engineers, and manufacturing teams. It also requires a shared understanding of industry needs, data standards, validation methods, and performance requirements. The event provided a platform for these communities to exchange views and explore cooperation opportunities.
- Yibin Advances Power Battery Innovation Ecosystem
The event is significant for Yibin as the city works to accelerate the construction of a power battery industry innovation ecosystem. Yibin has positioned itself as an important player in the power battery sector, and the event reinforced the city’s commitment to openness, service quality, and ecosystem development. The discussions on AI4S and power battery innovation aligned with Yibin’s broader efforts to attract research institutions, industry leaders, and talented professionals.
During the event, the Yibin Science and Technology Bureau awarded DP Technology’s Yibin New Energy and New Materials Digital Intelligence Innovation Center the title “Yibin Municipal New-Type R&D Institution.” The recognition reflects the city’s support for new research and development platforms that connect digital intelligence with new energy and new materials. For the power battery industry, such platforms can help bridge scientific research, technology development, and industrial application.
Yibin’s message at the event was clear: the city will adopt a more open posture, provide better services, and build a more complete ecosystem to welcome more research institutions, industry leaders, and outstanding talent in AI and the power battery industry to invest and develop in Yibin. This message underscored the city’s intention to strengthen collaboration across the power battery value chain and to support innovation-driven growth.
The event also demonstrated how local innovation ecosystems can connect with national and global power battery networks. By hosting a side event of the 2026 World Power Battery Conference, Yibin provided a platform for exchanges among leading enterprises, research institutions, and technology platforms. Such exchanges can help local ecosystems access frontier knowledge, build partnerships, and accelerate the application of AI4S in the power battery industry.
- Industry Leaders and Officials Emphasize Open Cooperation
Qin Fengqing, Vice Chairman of the Yibin Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Shi Limin, Executive Deputy Secretary-General of the New Energy Chamber of Commerce of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, attended the event and delivered speeches. Their participation highlighted the importance of coordination among government, industry, and research communities in advancing power battery innovation.
The event reflected a shared recognition that the power battery industry is entering a new phase. Scale and market position remain important, but future competitiveness will increasingly depend on innovation capability, research efficiency, and the ability to translate scientific discoveries into industrial solutions. AI4S offers a way to strengthen this capability, but its success depends on collaboration, infrastructure, data sharing, and a clear focus on industrial needs.
For enterprises in the power battery sector, the event provided insights into how AI can support materials research, cell design, process development, and validation. For research institutions, it offered a view of the practical challenges and opportunities in the power battery industry. For local ecosystems such as Yibin’s, it reinforced the importance of building platforms that connect scientific intelligence with industrial application.
The event also underlined the need for a long-term perspective. AI4S is not a short-term solution to all industry challenges. It requires sustained investment in data, models, computing, experiments, and talent. It also requires new forms of cooperation between AI specialists and power battery researchers. The discussions at the event helped clarify these requirements and provided a foundation for future collaboration.
- Outlook for AI-Enabled Power Battery Development
The “Science Intelligence · Driving the Future” event concluded with a clear message: the power battery industry is at a critical window for transformation and upgrading, and AI can provide a fundamental methodological change. As competition intensifies and technology requirements become more complex, the integration of AI4S with the power battery sector is expected to attract continued attention from industry, academia, and research institutions.
The event’s focus on infrastructure, paradigm innovation, and industrial application offers a practical framework for advancing this integration. Infrastructure provides the foundation for data-driven research. Paradigm innovation changes how scientific questions are explored and how knowledge is generated. Industrial application ensures that AI-enabled research delivers value in real power battery products and systems.
For the global power battery industry, the combination of market scale and technological competition makes innovation efficiency increasingly important. The data presented at the event, including the 72.4% combined market share of 7 companies from China among the top 10 global power battery installation companies in H1 2026, illustrated both the strength of the sector and the pressure to maintain leadership. AI4S is seen as one way to support that leadership through faster discovery, deeper understanding, and more effective industrial translation.
As the event showed, the future of power battery innovation will depend on collaboration across disciplines, sectors, and regions. The participation of CATL, BYD, GAC Aion, Xiaomi Group, Suzhou National Laboratory, universities, research institutes, and science and innovation platforms demonstrated the breadth of the emerging AI4S ecosystem. The recognition given to DP Technology’s Yibin center further highlighted the role of new research and development institutions in connecting digital intelligence with new energy and new materials.
The event ended with a forward-looking emphasis on openness and cooperation. Yibin’s invitation to AI and power battery research institutions, industry leaders, and talented professionals reflects a broader understanding that the next stage of power battery development will be built through shared effort. By linking scientific intelligence with industrial application, the event contributed to a high-quality exchange and cooperation platform for the power battery industry and set the stage for further progress in AI-enabled power battery innovation.