Japanese GreenTech company GSA opens a battery recycling lab in Biel/Bienne

Japanese GreenTech company Green Science Alliance (GSA) has opened a laboratory at Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne, in the canton of Bern. The lab will develop a technology that regenerates valuable materials from used lithium-ion batteries.

Green Science Alliance (GSA), a Japanese chemical and GreenTech company, has opened a laboratory dedicated to next-generation battery recycling at Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne (SIPBB). Inaugurated on 19 October 2026, the lab operates in partnership with the Swiss Battery Technology Center (SBTC). GSA develops advanced materials for a more sustainable society, from biomass-based alternatives to petroleum-derived products to rechargeable batteries, fuel cells and solar cells.

Regenerating cathode materials directly

Mechanically processing used lithium-ion batteries produces a dark powder called black mass, which contains valuable electrode materials. Conventional recycling dissolves it with acids or bases to recover individual metals, which then need several more processing steps before reuse. GSA’s approach is to directly regenerate the cathode active materials so that they can go back into new batteries, without fully breaking them down into elements. This could cut recycling steps and resource use.

Early results show that batteries made with regenerated cathode materials reached over 90% of the initial capacity of comparable batteries using commercial materials. The technology is being developed for both NMC (nickel-manganese-cobalt) and LFP (lithium iron phosphate) batteries.

A partnership with SBTC

SBTC is one of the four applied research centers of SIPBB. It provides scientific expertise, infrastructure and lab space, and the joint work covers assessing regenerated materials, making electrodes and cells, testing performance, and evaluating industrial potential and scalability. The partnership is supported by an Innosuisse Innovation Cheque, described as a first step toward joint research.

A base for European expansion

GSA chose Biel/Bienne as its base for expanding in Europe, and plans further collaborative R&D. It aims to commercialize the technology in Europe with the help of the SIPBB network of industrial partners, start-ups and research institutions across the battery value chain. If scaled up, the method could reduce the resources needed for recycling, lessen reliance on newly mined raw materials and support more resilient European battery supply chains.