From First Principles to Fast Prediction: Automated Symbolic Deduction and Multiscale Reduced Models for Battery Safety
Ilenia Battiato
Associate Professor in Energy Science and Engineering
Stanford University
Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are essential for both the electric vehicle revolution as well to achieve the necessary energy storage capacity supporting data centers with reliable backup power from ever increasing AI workloads. Still, LIBs widespread use is hindered by safety concerns, particularly thermal runaway (TR), an overheating phenomenon caused by internal short circuits and chemical reactions. Ongoing research is primarily focused on pushing batteries to operate at their physically permissible limits to enhance their market penetration. Yet, the impact of thermal effects on both battery performance and safety cannot be understated. As we push for batteries with higher energy densities, for which the risk of thermal runaway escalates, our ability to accurately assess TR risks at the module and pack scales is mostly still based on classical Edisonian trial-and-error approaches, relying on individuals’ accumulated experience and knowledge, since physics-based large scale numerical simulations are too computationally intensive, and therefore not well-suited for integration in battery thermal management systems. In this talk we discuss how the integration of novel automated symbolic deduction algorithms with rigorous physics-based multiscale frameworks can lead to the development of more accurate Reduced order models of TR at the pack scale and beyond.
Dr. Ilenia Battiato is Associate Professor of Energy Science and Engineering and leads the Multiscale Physics in Energy Systems Laboratory at Stanford University. Her research focuses on understanding, modeling, and predicting complex multiscale multiphysics systems with cross-cutting applications in the energy landscape ranging from electrochemical storage to CO2 sequestration and H2 storage in the subsurface. She uses a combination of rigorous mathematical theories, numerical and symbolic computing to develop advanced multiscale multiphysics models. She obtained a MS in environmental engineering with the highest honors from Politecnico di Milano, Italy in 2005. Subsequently she obtained a MS in Engineering Physics in 2008 from the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department at University of California at San Diego (UCSD). In 2010 she completed her Ph.D. at UCSD in Engineering Science with spec/computational sciences. She held a postdoctoral position at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization in Goettingen, Germany. Prior to joining Stanford in 2016, she was faculty in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Clemson University first, and then at San Diego State University (SDSU) with a joint appointment at the SDSU Computational Science Research Center. Some of her recognitions include the US Department of Energy Young Investigator award in Basic Energy Sciences for her innovative work on multiscale models in porous media in 2015, the Frederick Emmons Terman Fellowship from Stanford University in 2025, and the InterPore Award for Porous Media Research in 2026. She also serves as the elected 2028 co-Chair of the Gordon Research Conference in flow and Transport in Permeable media.
“Decarbonizing the Trucking Industry: empirical evidence and future challenges”
Romeo Danielis
Full Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Trieste
Decarbonizing the trucking industry represents a crucial element in the transition toward sustainable transport and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. Contemporary strategies predominantly focus on alternative propulsion technologies, notably battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell systems. This presentation will: i) review the life-cycle assessments of different propulsion options; ii) examine the empirical evidence regarding their adoption; iii) analyze their total cost of ownership relative to conventional diesel trucks, highlighting the primary determinants; iv) compare the logistics performance of these alternative propulsion systems. The analysis aims to provide a foundation for evaluating the role of policy instruments—such as subsidies, tax incentives, and infrastructure investments—in facilitating the adoption of low-emission technologies. Additional challenges include the integration of these new technologies into existing logistics networks and managing uncertainties associated with technology costs and energy supply. Overall, while decarbonization of the trucking sector is technically feasible, achieving it will require coordinated innovation, robust policy support, and long-term strategic planning to overcome financial, operational, and infrastructural barriers.
Romeo Danielis is a Full Professor of Applied Economics at the University of Trieste, where his academic activity has been strongly centred on research in transport economics, logistics systems, and infrastructure policy. After graduating in Economics and Commerce at the University of Trieste, he completed a Master’s degree in Economics at Northeastern University in Boston. His international research experience was further enriched through visiting research periods at Northeastern University and at University of Stirling in the United Kingdom. Professor Danielis’s research activity is primarily centred on transport economics, logistics systems, and infrastructure policy. His work addresses topics such as freight transport demand, port and maritime systems, infrastructure financing, discrete choice modelling, and the environmental sustainability of transport systems. Recent publications by Romeo Danielis focus on the economic and environmental transition of transport systems. His recent research examines the competitiveness of alternative propulsion technologies, such as hydrogen fuel-cell trucks and buses, analysing their total cost of ownership compared with conventional diesel vehicles. These studies highlight current economic challenges but also the potential for future cost reductions. Other works investigate the role of fiscal policies in promoting electric vehicles across Europe and the diffusion of electric two-wheelers in Italy through simulation models. Overall, his recent publications contribute to understanding how policy and innovation can support the decarbonisation of transport. He has also been actively involved in scientific networks and professional associations, including leadership roles in the Italian Society of Transport Economists (SIET), promoting research and policy discussion on transport and mobility in Europe.
Thoughts on road transport decarbonisation and sustainability in the era of uncertainty
The transition to zero-emission road transport is unfolding amid genuine turbulence: volatile energy prices, shifting geopolitical alliances, and rapid technological disruptions. A common response calls for hesitation, keeping all options open until the picture clears. This keynote attempts to lay the arguments for the opposite. Volatility should not be a reason for pausing development efforts, and rolling back long-term strategies, but the strongest case for a stable, and predictable framework, particularly when it comes to policy. According to recent JRC research findings and analysis, decarbonisation should be understood and implemented as a future hedge, not as a regulatory burden. Through it Europe can insulate its economy from shocks it cannot control and reclaim industrial sovereignty. Evidence from global manufacturing capacity, fleet-wide energy demand, lifecycle emissions, and the real-world performance of competing powertrains, suggest that electrification in particular is becoming a global industrial reality rather than an EU policy bet. Stable policy and strategy protect committed capital, investments, competitiveness, and above all EU economic and environmental sustainability which are key for growth and citizens’ wellbeing. The Climate targets, properly understood, are not anchors holding Europe back but a compass through the storm.
Name: Georgios Fontaras
Job Title: Team Leader
Employer: JRC – _European Commission
Dr. Fontaras works as a research project & portfolio leader at the European Commission’s Joint Research Center, responsible for the science project Transport For Climate Ambition, Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Prosperity (LEGENT).
His research supports EU policy on transport decarbonisation, focusing on road-vehicle efficiency, regulatory vehicle certification software, zero emission vehicles, and transport emissions inventorying.
He has been a work package/project leader of various JRC projects in the area of transport decarbonization and sustainability. He has coordinated the development of tools and methods used for emissions monitoring and reporting in the EU. Georgios chairs the ERMES expert group on emissions research and co-chairs the UN Task Force for Emissions Inventories and Projections transport panel. He holds a PhD from Aristotle University and has been a visiting associate professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering. He has authored and co-authored more than 100 scientific publications.
The convergence of market segments is accelerating the automotive industry.
The convergence of market segments is emerging as a powerful accelerator in the automotive world, particularly through the influence of technologies originally developed for high-growth domains such as AI power conversion. As artificial intelligence drives demand for more efficient, compact, and high-performance electric power architectures, innovations in power conversion are increasingly spilling over into automotive applications. This cross-sector transfer is enabling improvements in vehicle electrification, energy efficiency, thermal management, and system integration. At the same time, the automotive industry is adopting design approaches and hardware platforms shaped by adjacent markets, shortening development cycles and accelerating innovation. In this context, market segment convergence is not only reshaping technological roadmaps but also creating new opportunities for collaboration, differentiation, and faster transition toward next-generation mobility solution.
Nicola Liporace is EMEA Vice President Automotive Segment.
After experiences at IBM and University of Rome, Liporace joined ST in the Distribution Product Marketing Engineer in 1995.
Four years later, he was appointed VIPower Automotive Product Marketing Manager. In 2016, he became BU VIPower Director. Liporace was promoted to Group Vice President and Low Voltage Integrated Power Division General Manager in 2019.
Nicola Liporace was born in Cosenza, Italy in 1965 and he graduated with a degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of Rome La Sapienza.
He earned a Master degree in IBM in “Management of Innovation and Technology”.