UKRI’s Faraday battery challenge

The context of the challenge

The Faraday Battery Challenge, delivered by Innovate UK, has a budget of £610m to develop new battery technologies. Their journey began back in 2017 and since then they have funded many projects in the UK. The past few years have seen some fantastic developments. However, up to now, their projects have focused on research, development and production of batteries and now they want to move forward in considering the use of these batteries in all our lives.

Their work is driven by the need to be net carbon zero by 2050. Developing more sustainable ways of getting around the UK is one of the key reasons so much time and research is being put into developing batteries for our future. As we move away from fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, towards renewable sources, such as wind and solar, we need to find ways to ensure we can maintain a stable and consistent energy supply. Developing better battery technologies will mean they charge faster and run for longer than ever before.

These new batteries can be small, a single cell, or huge, where multiple cells are joined together, or anything in between. They can power small objects, such as your games console, all the way up to cars and trucks. Research and development currently underway will allow us to power aeroplanes and ships in the future.

The UK Battery Industrialisation Centre was opened so that businesses could develop their battery manufacturing processes at the scale they need to move to industrial production, and where those working in the industry can develop new skills by working on the production line, alongside UKBIC’s specialist teams.

However, developing battery technology is not without its problems. Firstly, they will need people with the skills required to create, develop and build new technologies. It is estimated that we will need over 90,000 talented people in all kinds of battery jobs, from marketing to working in the factory, to supporting future breakthroughs. Secondly, chemicals used in battery production need to be mined, and this has an environmental impact. Thirdly, we need to think about how to recharge batteries. Finally, although developing technologies mean we can recharge batteries many times, they will eventually need replacing. To avoid these just becoming part of landfill, we need to invest in ways of recycling or repurposing batteries. 

By working together to solve these challenges, we open up huge opportunities for our society, and the Faraday Battery Challenge team needs your ideas.

Can your students help make a difference as an IET Faraday® engineer?

Activity info and teachers’ notes

The Faraday Battery Challenge challenge is based on the IET Faraday® Challenge of the same name from our 2024/25 season of IET Faraday® Challenge Days.

Students are given an engineering brief (found in the student booklet) to help UKRI’s Faraday Battery Challenge to design a prototype which is capable of using a battery or batteries and can help someone from the following; a person with a disability or a specific need, an educational toy for a child aged 2 to 5 years old or someone who takes part in a sport or outdoor activity. They will need to demonstrate that they have the engineering skills required to engineer and construct a working prototype of their design and pitch their products to the judges. 

Designed for six teams of six students (36 students in total) aged 12-13 years (year 8 England, and equivalent), the challenge encourages the development of students’ problem solving, team working and communication skills.

This activity day can be tailored to the needs of your school and your students by adapting the PowerPoint presentation and the editable student booklet.

What’s included?

The complete set of downloadable materials includes:

• Teachers’ pack

  A list of the practical materials needed, presenters’ notes highlighting key areas and reinforcing key themes throughout the day, some handy hints on how to deliver the day...plus printable Faradays currency and student certificates.

• Student booklet

  Available as an editable MSWord document to allow the booklet to be adapted to meet the needs of your students and your school.

• PowerPoint presentation

  A step-by-step guide for your students throughout the day, with supporting notes for the delivery of the presentation.

• Film clip

  Full briefing video introducing the challenge to your students.

Remember, it’s all free! ...and registration is free too!

All online resources (including film clips!) are free to download, and the student booklet and PowerPoint presentation are fully editable, so you can tailor them to your students’ and your schools’ needs.

You can stream and download the related film for free by clicking on the appropriate link in the Related resources section below.