First national battery facility coming to North Brabant (OBIC)
’s-Hertogenbosch – 3 March 2026 – The Province of North Brabant is investing 1.25 million euros in the establishment of a national battery facility. The Open Battery Industrialisation Centre (OBIC) will become the first Dutch facility where companies can test and scale up their battery technology towards industrial production. With this development, Brabant secures a key position in the European energy transition.
In recent years, the Province of North Brabant has invested over 5.5 million euros in the development of battery technology. Together with the Brabant Development Agency (BOM), Brainport Eindhoven, TNO at Holst Centre, industry associations and various industrial partners including VDL-ETS as a partner of OBIC, the province is working to build a strong ecosystem. “Scaling up is essential in this regard,” says Martijn van Gruijthuijsen, Provincial Executive for Economy, Knowledge and Talent Development.
“Many companies develop battery components but lack the ability to demonstrate performance, reliability and safety in mass-produced cells. OBIC offers the facilities and expertise to prove this convincingly and accelerate industrialisation.”
Technological advantage
At the facility, new battery cells will be tested for performance and lifespan. Production processes will also be optimised to ensure consistent quality, thereby building essential production and integration knowledge. “It accelerates the industrialisation of innovations that give us a technological lead and strengthens the competitive position of the Netherlands and Europe in a market still dominated by Asian players,” says Van Gruijthuijsen.
Batteries as a key element of a future-proof energy system
Batteries are essential for electric mobility and grid stabilisation. They make it possible to store sustainable energy from solar and wind sources and use it at a later time, helping to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. The establishment of OBIC therefore aligns with the Energy Perspective 2050, in which energy storage is a vital building block for a reliable and future-proof energy system.
The facility enables faster testing and scaling of new battery technology. “Storage is crucial to the success of the energy transition. With this national facility, we can develop and apply innovations more quickly,” says Bas Maes, Provincial Executive for Energy and Climate. Furthermore, domestic production of battery components or cells creates high-quality employment in a rapidly growing sector.
A total of more than 12.2 million euros has been made available through the National Growth Fund, an investment programme of the Dutch government. The application was approved in November last year. Implementation is carried out via the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. In collaboration with Battery Competence Cluster NL, work is underway to further develop OBIC into a strategic hub of national importance for start-ups, industry and knowledge institutions.
Location confirmed: Automotive Campus in Helmond
OBIC will be located at the Automotive Campus, which plays a strategic role within Brabant’s mobility and innovation ecosystem. The campus is home to work on innovation, including solutions to societal and technological challenges such as electrification, decarbonisation, digitalisation, safety and sustainability.
