TDK wins the Austrian VERENA award for CeraCharge

TDK Corporation 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. 

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