Innovation award: TDK wins the Austrian VERENA award for CeraCharge

TDK Corporation (TSE:6762) won Austria’s VERENA award for innovation in the areas of energy, smart grids or e-mobility. The special award was given to TDK at the Austrian Innovation Prize ceremonies that are hosted by the country’s Ministry for Digital and Economic Affairs. With the VERENA award, TDK was singled out for the development of CeraCharge™, the world’s first solid-state SMD rechargeable battery. The Graz University of Technology supported TDK’s R&D effort through the characterization of the materials used and the surfaces of their internal boundaries. 

“We are very proud that our work with CeraCharge has been recognized at this level,” says Dr. Manfred Schweinzger, who heads the Corporate Research & Development department of TDK’s Piezo & Protection Devices Business Group which is headquartered in Deutschlandsberg, Austria. “Our interdisciplinary and global team of engineers has once again developed an innovative and technologically leading product for forward-looking applications.” This marks the third time that TDK Electronics in Austria (formerly EPCOS) have taken top honors in the Austrian competition.

CeraCharge – the smallest lithium-ion rechargeable battery in the world – can be processed using traditional SMD technology and features a solid-state multilayer ceramic body. That makes it extremely safe to use: It can neither catch fire nor explode, nor is there any liquid electrolyte that can leak out. To increase capacity and voltage, virtually any number of these rechargeable batteries can be connected in parallel or in series. That makes CeraCharge ideal for all kinds of applications, such as in wearables and for energy harvesting. CeraCharge is suitable above all for use in Internet of Things (IoT) applications. IoT devices and systems are deployed in factories, machines and production facilities, in cars and traffic infrastructure, and in healthcare. 

CeraCharge qualified for the VERENA by winning the Styrian provincial government’s annual Fast Forward Award in the large corporations category in September 2018. 

Further information on the products can be found under www.tdk-electronics.tdk.com/en/ceracharge.

From left: Dr. Manfred Schweinzger, Markus Puff, Masahiro Oishi und Dr. Yongli Wang.

About TDK Corporation

TDK Corporation is a leading electronics company based in Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK's comprehensive portfolio features passive components such as ceramic, aluminum electrolytic and film capacitors, as well as magnetics, high-frequency, and piezo and protection devices. The product spectrum also includes sensors and sensor systems such as temperature and pressure, magnetic, and MEMS sensors. In addition, TDK provides power supplies and energy devices, magnetic heads and more. These products are marketed under the product brands TDK, EPCOS, InvenSense, Micronas, Tronics and TDK-Lambda. TDK focuses on demanding markets in the areas of information and communication technology and automotive, industrial and consumer electronics. The company has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe, and in North and South America. In fiscal 2018, TDK posted total sales of USD 12 billion and employed about 103,000 people worldwide.