VTT: Leading the Next-Generation BMS in BIG LEAP

26Sep

VTT: Leading the Next-Generation BMS in BIG LEAP

Interview

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland is a driving force in BIG LEAP, leading the development of a new generation of Battery Management Systems (BMS). With its expertise in embedded software, energy technologies, and safety diagnostics, VTT is helping to make second-life batteries more reliable, adaptable, and sustainable. 

What’s the main role of VTT in the BIG LEAP project? 

As leader of Work Package 4, VTT is driving the design of a multi‑operational Battery Management System (BMS) that can adapt to different chemistries and applications. This includes creating a new low‑level software layer combining embedded Linux and real‑time operating systems, giving the system the flexibility it needs at module level. The team is also developing the interfaces that connect hardware, software, and cloud layers, ensuring smooth communication, real‑time updates, and safe operation. To validate these concepts, prototypes are being built and tested with hardware‑in‑the‑loop systems, showing that aged battery modules can be safely reused in second‑life energy storage.

Beyond this leadership role, the Finnish research centre contributes across the project to make the BMS robust and ready for real‑world use. It defines software requirements, checks the health of aged batteries before testing, and ensures that module preparation aligns with integration activities. The work also covers safety strategies such as cell balancing and optimal charging algorithms to extend battery life. In addition, the team supports data collection and analysis to improve performance models, aligns BMS electronics with battery power units in the demonstrators, and provides material data for life‑cycle and sustainability assessments.

What are the main challenges VTT may face in the project?

For VTT, the real challenge is not only designing an advanced Battery Management System, but making sure it works reliably across very different conditions. Batteries vary widely in chemistry, age, and performance, so the system must be able to adapt without compromising safety. Turning complex software concepts into something that runs smoothly in real time, while keeping communication between hardware, software, and cloud layers seamless, is another demanding task.

Beyond the technical side, VTT also faces the challenge of proving these solutions outside the lab. Demonstrating that aged batteries can be safely reused in large‑scale applications, whether in stationary storage or maritime systems, requires rigorous testing and close coordination with partners. At the same time, VTT must ensure that sustainability is built in from the start, by providing data for life cycle analysis and environmental assessments. Balancing innovation, safety, and sustainability is not easy, but it is exactly what makes VTT’s role so crucial to the success of BIG LEAP.

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