From 20 to 22 May 2026, the Linz Center of Mechatronics (LCM) hosted the “From Model to Impact: Battery Summer School” — a three-day intensive training event organized as part of the FreeTwinEV project. Held at Science Park 1 at Linz Center of Mechatronics, Austria, the summer school brought together researchers, engineers, and students from partner institutions to deepen their expertise in battery modeling, simulation, and digital twinning for electric vehicle applications.
A Rich Programme Spanning Three Days
The summer school offered a carefully curated programme that balanced theoretical foundations with hands-on experience, covering topics from electrochemical fundamentals to advanced simulation tools.
Day 1 – Wednesday, 20 May: Foundations and Collaboration
The event opened with a welcome address by Dr. Johann Hoffelner, CEO of the Linz Center of Mechatronics, followed by an introduction from the organizers Paula Reimer and Dr. Bernd Winkler. The first day set the stage with a session on “Introduction to Battery Technology Fundamentals and New Battery Chemistries”, delivered by Dr. Martin Bat’a, and Dr. Miroslav Mikolášek from the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava (STU). This was followed by a presentation from Peter Beňo and Daniela Macáková (ADDSEN) on turning project concepts into real collaboration opportunities.
In the afternoon, Dr. Maarten Bonnema from the University of Twente gave a lecture on System Engineering for Battery Modeling, after which participants had the opportunity to visit the LCM research laboratories — a highlight for many attendees. The first day concluded with a social programme in the evening, giving participants a chance to network in a more informal setting.
Day 2 – Thursday, 21 May: Electrochemistry and Simulation Tools
The second day dove deeper into technical topics. Dr. Prasanth Venugopal (University of Twente) opened the morning with an advanced session on Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy for future Battery Management Systems. This was followed by a hands-on Python tutorial on battery electrochemical modelling led by Dr. Sai Krishna Mulpuri (University of Twente).
The afternoon was dedicated to the LCM’s in-house tools and expertise. Simon Weitzhofer introduced participants to thermal network modelling using OpenModelica, and Barbara Hartl and Simon Weitzhofer guided a hands-on session on battery modelling within the same environment. The day wrapped up with a session on parameter identification using SyMSpace, followed by a broader look at SyMSpace applications across engineering domains presented by Dr. Siegfried Silber.
Day 3 – Friday, 22 May: Battery Mechaton
The final day featured the “Battery Mechaton” — a two-part intensive session led by Dr. Johannes Klinglmayr (LCM), designed to consolidate the knowledge acquired throughout the week through applied problem-solving and interactive exercises.
About the FreeTwinEV Project
The Battery Summer School was organized as part of the FreeTwinEV project (Fostering Research ExcellencE of STU in Digital Twinning for Sustainable and Safe Electric Vehicles), funded under the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme (grant no. 101159989). The project aims to strengthen the research capabilities of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava in the field of digital twinning for advanced battery management systems, and to establish STU as a leading hub for battery research in Central and Eastern Europe through a strategic partnership with the University of Twente, the Linz Center of Mechatronics, and ADDSEN.
The summer school was a concrete expression of this collaboration — a space where academic knowledge, industrial tools, and cross-border partnerships came together to advance the state of the art in battery technology for electric mobility.