NCSTT Strengthens ASEAN Battery Innovation Network at ABTC 2025 in Phuket 

Phuket, (SR)-, The 3rd ASEAN Battery Technology Conference (ABTC 2025) convened 27–29 August at SAii Laguna Phuket, Thailand, under the banner “For a Greener Tomorrow: Advancing Battery Safety and Innovation for ASEAN’s Next Generation.” Organized by the Thailand Energy Storage Technology Association (TESTA) in partnership with five leading regional bodies—including Indonesia’s NCSTT—the event has rapidly evolved into ASEAN’s premier forum for battery and energy-storage innovation. Building on its 2023 debut in Bali and 2024 edition in Singapore, this year’s conference brought together over 250 engineers, policymakers, researchers, and industry stakeholders to address key topics such as cell-to-pack technology, future manufacturing methods, safety advancements, and ASEAN regulatory frameworks.

A four-member NCSTT delegation—Director Prof. Andra Joelianto, Dr. Bentang Arief Budiman, Dr. Potro Lebdo Sambegoro, and Prof. Ferry Iskandar—played an active role throughout the three-day program. They joined high-level panel discussions pairing academic and industrial experts, sharing lessons learned from Indonesia’s battery. These sessions underscored the importance of cross-sector collaboration in accelerating solid-state battery R&D, enhancing lifecycle sustainability, and bolstering regional supply chains.

Keynote addresses set the conference tone. Nobel Laureate Prof. Stanley Whittingham traced lithium-ion battery evolution from foundational research to applications in electric vehicles and spacecraft. Prof. Yet-Ming Chiang (MIT) explored next-generation chemistries—highlighting metal-air systems for their material abundance and manufacturing simplicity—while Prof. Shirley Meng (University of Chicago/Argonne) surveyed breakthroughs in cathode materials and scale-up techniques.

On the final day, delegates unanimously agreed to host ABTC 2026 in Penang, Malaysia, under the stewardship of NanoMalaysia Berhad. This decision reinforces the conference’s annual rotation among ASEAN battery hubs and supports its mission to empower the next generation of energy leaders. By continuously fostering dialogue between academia, industry, and government, NCSTT and its ASEAN partners are charting a path toward safer, more sustainable energy-storage solutions across the region.