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Lyon, 8 July 2025 - The Ecole normale superieure de Lyon (ENS de Lyon), the CNRS, Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University, ITEN and the French National Research Agency (ANR) have announced the launch of the AMIE LabCom (Analysis of Materials and Interfaces for Energy). This strategic partnership, supported by the ANR with €363,000 in funding, brings together academic research and industrial innovation to push the boundaries of ITEN all-solid-state battery performance, sustainability, and ecoresponsibility.
Operational since April 2025, the AMIE LabCom merges the renowned expertise of the Chemistry Laboratory (CNRS / ENS de Lyon / UCBL) with ITEN’s industrial know-how. Located at the ENS Lyon, the Chemistry Laboratory is recognized for its excellence, especially in the study and modeling of surfaces, interfaces, nanomaterials, as well as ionic liquids. ITEN is a pioneering industrial scale-up in the design and manufacture of all-solid ceramic batteries.
While ITEN batteries already stand out for their safety, fast charging, high energy and power densities and low environmental impact, the work of the AMIE LabCom will further enhance performance and durability by deeply investigating the physicochemical phenomena within the batteries.
The AMIE Joint Laboratory benefits from €363,000 in funding over 54 months from the ANR, allowing the addition of 3 PhD candidates and 2 postdoctoral researchers to the Chemistry Laboratory’s team in the short term.
Technological Innovation and Reduced Environmental Impact
AMIE's initial research will focus on three main topics:
- Developing new nanomaterial synthesis processes to further minimize environmental impact;
- Optimizing and creating new solid electrolytes to improve battery durability and expand their operating temperature range (especially at lower temperatures);
- Studying and modeling chemical and electrochemical reactions at battery interfaces to anticipate aging, boost efficiency, and double battery lifespan.
Vincent Cobée, CEO of ITEN : ”The creation of this joint lab between the world-renowned Chemistry Laboratory and ITEN, the originator of a unique solid-state battery technology, is a continuation and amplification of a fruitful collaboration initiated over a decade ago with CNRS Research Director Frédéric Chaput. This new lab will accelerate the development of our energy storage technology, enhance its durability, further reduce its environmental footprint, and sharpen our competitive edge. ITEN’s technology ranks among the most promising globally, and we intend to not only maintain but strengthen this lead. AMIE’s work will deepen our expertise, speed up our development, and strengthen our connection with future professionals trained at ENS de Lyon."
Stéphane Parola, VP Strategy at ENS de Lyon and former Director of the Chemistry Laboratory :"This joint lab with ITEN is the culmination of a 10-year collaboration on material design. Strengthening this partnership through AMIE LabCom opens highly strategic opportunities for the Chemistry Lab and its overseeing institutions. By promoting interdisciplinarity within the research teams, between materials chemistry and modeling, AMIE will generate fundamental knowledge about physicochemical phenomena occurring at the various interfaces in ITEN solid-state batteries. This is an exciting innovation challenge, bridging core expertise from basic research to real-world applications."
Mehdi Gmar, Deputy Director for Innovation at CNRS : "CNRS welcomes the creation of the AMIE LabCom, which formalizes a long-standing relationship between the Chemistry Laboratory and ITEN, an industrial start-up born from basic research. CNRS partners with companies like ITEN that invest in research to lead innovation and stay competitive. The joint laboratory model is an ideal framework for building sustainable public-private relationships."
Arnaud Torres, Advisor to the ANR Presidency : "ANR’s LabCom program aims to facilitate the creation of lasting partnerships between businesses and academic researchers, in the form of Joint Laboratories, to better address scientific challenges raised by the socioeconomic world. By connecting academic research and industrial innovation to investigate physicochemical mechanisms in depth, the AMIE LabCom will help improve the performance of ITEN’s high-energy-density solid-state microbatteries, leveraging innovative materials and optimized interfaces. We are proud to support this LabCom, which aligns with ANR’s broader mission to foster innovation."
Press Contacts :
ITEN – Agence Syntagme – Natacha Hirth – natacha@syntagme.fr – +33 6 2119 98 56
CNRS Rhône Auvergne – Sébastien Buthion – Communications Officer – dr07.communicationdr@cnrs.fr – +33 6 88 61 88 96
ENS de Lyon – Aude Riom – Director of Communications – aude.riom@ens-lyon.fr – +33 6 30 14 08 38
ANR–Katel Le Floc’h –Head of Press Relations – contactpresse@anr.fr – +33 6 81 61 12 97
About:
The Chemistry Laboratory (LCH) is a joint research unit of ENS de Lyon and CNRS, affiliated with Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University, located on the ENS de Lyon campus. Known for scientific excellence in various fields of chemistry including materials and nanomaterials, ionic liquids, and interface modeling, the lab boasts state-of-the-art equipment (NMR, EPR, SAXS, XRD, electrochemistry, calorimetry, EC-STM, electron microscopy) and access to a high-performance data center. It also benefits from advanced project management and tech transfer services.
ITEN is a French industrial gem and leader in the development and production of unparalleled power solid-state batteries. It is one of the rare players worldwide capable of industrial-scale production of this technology, mastering the entire value chain. These revolutionary batteries meet the needs of compact and powerful electronic systems like IoT devices, autonomous sensors, and wearables. At the heart of the DeepTech ecosystem, ITEN holds over 200 patents. Based in Dardilly, near Lyon, it has twice won the World Innovation Contest (2015, 2017) and is a French Tech 120 winner in 2023, 2024, and 2025. It received the 2024 CES Best of Innovation Award in Las Vegas for its 250 µA.h microbattery – the second French company ever to win since CES began in 1967. In late 2022, ITEN raised €80 million from BPI France, Groupe SEB, Innovacom, EREN Group, and Habert Dassault Finance. www.iten.com
CNRS is a world-leading research organization and the only French national institution active across all scientific disciplines. Its multidisciplinary structure allows it to combine scientific domains to tackle contemporary challenges alongside public and socio-economic actors. Together, science serves sustainable progress for the benefit of society.www.cnrs.fr
ENS de Lyon produces high-level research across its thirty laboratories and research platforms, and trains 2,400 students, including nearly 500 PhD candidates. Its mission is to create impactful research, innovation, and technology transfer, while enriching the public sector and socio-economic world with graduates adept at handling complexity and knowledge transmission. Over 30 startups have been incubated there.www.ens-lyon.fr
The French National Research Agency (ANR) is the funding agency for project-based research in France. As a public institution under the authority of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research, the ANR funds and promotes basic and applied research in all disciplines at the national, European, and international level. It also funds technological innovation, technology transfer, and partnerships between research teams from the public and private sectors, in addition to strengthening dialogue between science and society. The ANR also serves as the main operator of the France 2030 Investment Plan in higher education and research. France 2030 supports excellence and transformations in higher education, research, training, and innovation within priority sectors. The Agency selects, funds, and monitors projects in connection with these objectives. The ANR is ISO 9001 certified, and was awarded the "professional equality" label. www.anr.fr