On March 16, 2026, the spring tide surged forth new waves as GEM welcomed Academician Sun Xueliang—a world-leading expert in solid-state battery technology, Foreign Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, currently serving as Chair Professor at Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo and Dean of the Institute of Matter and Energy—to GEM’s Jingmen Industrial Park. Together with Professor Xu Kaihua, Chairman of GEM, they co-hosted the Symposium on Innovation-driven Development for Cathode Materials in Solid-State Batteries. The two parties discussed pathways to breakthroughs in core material technologies for solid-state lithium batteries and jointly explored opportunities to seize high-quality development prospects in the new energy industry during the “15th Five-Year Plan” period. Academician Sun Xueliang’s personal guidance not only brought cutting-edge technical expertise and industry insights to GEM but also provided powerful momentum for GEM to seize the initiative in the solid-state battery industrialization race, helping GEM make a strong start in the “15th Five-Year Plan” period and stand at the forefront of industry development.

At the outset of the event, Academician Sun Xueliang delivered a comprehensive interpretation of the opportunities, challenges, and industrialization pathways for all-solid-state batteries with visionary insight and accessible explanations, offering an inspiring academic sharing session to over 200 core management and innovation personnel from GEM. During the exchange, Academician Sun systematically elaborated on the global development landscape of all-solid-state batteries, national strategies, China’s industrialization layout, and international cooperation. He focused on analyzing the five core challenges and technological progress in halide solid-state electrolytes, providing scientific summaries and forward-looking prospects for the development directions of new electrolytes and cathode materials. He also offered highly forward-looking and instructive technical insights to GEM’s innovation team. Academician Sun particularly noted that at the outset of the “15th Five-Year Plan,” new energy storage and solid-state batteries, as one of the six new pillar industries, would become key areas leading the development of new quality productive forces. He expressed his fervent hope to leverage the respective strengths of both parties, work closely together, and jointly advance the technological innovation and industrialization of cathode materials for solid-state batteries.

▲ Scene of the Symposium on Innovation-driven Development for Cathode Materials in Solid-State Batteries

▲ Academician Sun Xueliang delivering a keynote report at the Symposium on Innovation-driven Development for Cathode Materials in Solid-State Batteries

▲ Academician Sun Xueliang answering questions from GEM innovation personnel regarding the technological development of Cathode Materials in Solid-State Batteries

Chairman Xu Kaihua expressed sincere gratitude to Academician Sun Xueliang and his delegation for their visit, stating that Academician Sun’s presence at GEM at the beginning of the “15th Five-Year Plan” period provided invaluable guidance and inspiration in the field of cutting-edge technology development for solid-state lithium battery cathode materials, igniting GEM’s passion for cutting-edge technology innovation and its steadfast commitment to developing the new energy industry. He noted that during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, Academician Sun Xueliang, as GEM’s Chief Scientist, made significant contributions to GEM’s remarkable achievements in innovation, industry, and globalization. During the “15th Five-Year Plan” period, GEM will focus on three core businesses: the recovery and extraction of critical metal resources, the recycling and utilization of lithium power batteries, and the core manufacturing of new energy materials. The core manufacturing of new energy materials specifically requires achieving breakthrough super-technologies in the field of all-solid-state lithium battery materials, with the goal of becoming a global leader in the innovation and industrialization of all-solid-state lithium battery cathode materials. To achieve this critical objective, GEM must collaborate with global industry master Academician Sun Xueliang and his technical team at the Institute of Matter and Energy, Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo. Adopting a model of “super-leading guidance + engineering innovation,” they will combine strengths and complement advantages to rapidly advance the industrialization of all-solid-state lithium battery cathode material technologies. Chairman Xu Kaihua firmly believes: “With the empowerment of a technical master like Academician Sun Xueliang, GEM will certainly make a strong start during the ‘15th Five-Year Plan’ period, taking the lead and standing firmly at the forefront.”

▲ Professor Xu Kaihua, Chairman of GEM, speaking at the Symposium on Innovation-driven Development for Cathode Materials in Solid-State Batteries

Subsequently, the teams from both sides held a dedicated symposium to further consolidate consensus on cooperation. Academician Sun Xueliang’s team shared the latest research progress in all-solid-state battery cathode materials, and provided a detailed introduction to the new breakthroughs achieved in their collaborative project with GEM on cathode materials adapted to solid-state electrolytes. Both parties agreed that their preliminary cooperation has yielded remarkable results, laying a solid technical and mutual trust foundation for the next steps of jointly establishing a laboratory and jointly promoting industrialization.

▲ GEM innovation team holding a Symposium on Innovation-driven Development for Cathode Materials in Solid-State Batteries

Academician Sun Xueliang’s team’s visit to GEM for the Solid-State Lithium Battery Cathode Materials Innovation and Development Exchange Meeting represents a profound embrace between a top-tier scholar and a leading enterprise, and a resonant synergy between national strategy and industrial practice. Standing at the new starting point of the “15th Five-Year Plan,” GEM will seize this opportunity of Academician Sun’s guidance to advance hand in hand with his team, overcoming technical challenges through super innovation, jointly leading the innovation wave in all-solid-state battery materials technology, and contributing a new model of industry-university-research integration to the high-quality development of the global new energy industry.

Ms. Wang Min, Joint Ultimate Controller and Director of GEM; Dr. Zhang Kun, Senior Deputy General Manager of GEM; Dr. Chen Yujun, General Manager; Dr. Hua Wenchao, Deputy General Manager; Dr. He Rui, Assistant to the General Manager; Dr. Sun Zhaojian, Assistant to the General Manager; Dr. Ma Yongsong, Assistant to the General Manager; and Dr. Bie Chuanyu, Assistant to the General Manager, along with other leaders, accompanied the delegation and attended the symposium.