NENY’s Battery-NY Names its Executive Director
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – Battery-NY, part of the Binghamton University-led New Energy New York initiative designed to establish a strong lithium-ion battery manufacturing infrastructure in upstate New York, has named its first executive director.
British engineer Paul Malliband was selected for the role following a worldwide candidate search.
“I am excited to welcome Paul Malliband to Binghamton University and the New Energy New York initiative,” Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger said. “His experience in both research and business is going to be crucial in Battery-NY launching its prototyping capabilities, which are the first of its kind in the U.S., and working with industry partners. The NENY project, which is built around its great people, has been fortunate to have received external support through the EDA’s Build Back Better Regional challenge, the U.S. National Science Foundation and New York state. We’re proud to now include Paul as a member of the NENY team.”
Malliband brings over 25 years of experience in academia, manufacturing and management to the executive director role. He comes to NENY and Battery-NY from WMG’s Energy Innovation Centre at the University of Warwick, where he served as chief engineer and head of Battery Scale-Up (BSU). There, he oversaw pilot line operations, including a facility that houses more than 60 assets for manufacturing and testing battery electrodes, and pouch and cylindrical cells.
In addition to Malliband’s role at BSU, he worked closely with the UK Battery Industrialisation Centre (UKBIC) team on the development of its Volume Industrialisation Line (VIL) and also co-managed its new Flexible Industrialisation Line (FIL). At Continental in Hannover, Germany, Malliband was responsible for specifying and implementing automation systems concepts and worked closely with equipment suppliers in the development of those concepts.
“When I first met Paul at Warwick, I knew he was our leader,” Distinguished Professor at Binghamton University and Nobel Laureate M. Stanley Whittingham said. “He had all the desired experience, was excited about batteries, and made a great impression. He will be a great asset in building and leading the Battery-NY facility, the centerpiece of NENY, and will attract the leading battery companies to the region to accomplish our and Senator Schumer’s goal of energy storage ‘Made in America by Americans.’”
Malliband earned his bachelor’s degree in engineering from the University of West England Bristol, before earning his M.Phil and Ph.D from Cambridge University’s Corpus Christi College. His experience in recruiting, leadership, creating a safe working environment, raising investment funds, and working closely with a variety of industries, academics and researchers equips Battery-NY to be innovative and sustainable as this crucial resource to the U.S. battery industry moves into its next phase.
“Paul is an incredible addition to the NENY team and will bring with him tremendous experience that will ensure that the Battery-NY center will become a world-leading asset to battery companies across the nation,” Per Stromhaug, NENY regional economic competitiveness officer and Binghamton University associate vice president for innovation and economic development, said.
Malliband, who began work March 4, will work hand in hand with Whittingham to usher Battery-NY into its operational phase.
“I am honored and excited to have been appointed to the role of executive director for Battery-NY, leading the establishment of this new state-of-the-art battery technology development and prototyping facility in upstate New York,” Malliband said. “I look forward to building upon Binghamton University’s strong foundations in battery R&D under the leadership of Nobel Laureate Stanley Whittingham and working alongside our dedicated teams, industry partners, and equipment suppliers to build a world-leading facility with the ultimate goal of expanding and localizing battery manufacturing within the U.S.”
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About New Energy New York (NENY)
NENY is building a nation-leading ecosystem in upstate New York, supporting research and development, innovation, technology translation, and workforce development to advance the domestic battery and energy storage industry. Led by Binghamton University, NENY has assembled a cross-sector coalition of partners to aid in the development and execution of programs supporting academia, industry, and regional communities. For more information about NENY, visit: https://newenergynewyork.com/.
About Binghamton UniversityA world-class institution, Binghamton University offers broad, interdisciplinary education with an international perspective and one of the most vibrant research programs in the nation. Binghamton University is located in the Southern Tier of upstate New York, just one mile west of the city of Binghamton and a short drive from major urban centers in New York and neighboring states. The university invests in top-notch facilities and engages in industry partnerships knowing their immensely talented students and faculty will make discoveries that enrich the campus, the community and the world. Success breeds success, and what began as a small liberal arts college is now a nationally recognized research institution with one of the two fastest-growing research programs in the state with students, faculty and staff from more than 100 countries. For more information on OEIP, visit: https://www.binghamton.edu/research/innovation/.
