ATENA+’s main objective is to contribute to improve the competitiveness of the European Battery industry by demonstrating a new generation of safe, sustainable-by-design, high-performance, cost-effective and fully Made-in-Europe Sodium-Ion Battery (SIB) technology at pre-industrial scale (TRL 7). By leveraging a multidisciplinary consortium of leading European research institutions and top-tier industrial players, ATENA+ will demonstrate the manufacturing of up to 80 Ah and >2,5kWh modules representative of BESS applications by: (i) optimizing cutting-edge active materials (i.e., stable Co-free layered oxides with minimal Ni content and improved energy density and processability; EU-sourced biobased hard carbon, made from sustainably managed forests, with enhanced capacity, efficiency and material density; customized advanced electrolytes with interphase-stabilizing characteristics, high-ionic conductivity and high electrochemical stability; (ii) developing environmentally-friendly processing techniques for high performance electrode production; (iii) improving cell and module architecture designs featuring high reparability-level, low maintenance requirement and enhanced safety performance and; (iv) integrating an advanced BMS with Battery Passport capabilities and fine-tuned SoC management to achieve optimal cell performance. All this, supported by iterative feedback loops with thorough electrochemical and safety testing, environmental, eco-design and recyclability criteria. Finally, the technology will be virtually upscaled to full BESS level to evaluate the system’s performance across 5 different real end-user operating conditions to accelerate post-project technology commercialization and ultimately contributing to the establishment of a competitive, resilient, and sustainable battery manufacturing industry in Europe.