Manuel Baumann

Dr. Manuel Baumann is a scientific researcher at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis (ITAS), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), where he has been employed since 2012. He is a Principal Investigator at KIT and serves as the speaker for the Energy System Design Sub-Topic 1.2 on Societally-Feasible Transformation Pathways. He is also the deputy representative for the European Energy Research Alliance’s Joint Programme on Energy Storage, Sub-programme 6 on Sustainability and Techno-Economics, and a member of the CICS.NOVA Observatory of Technology Assessment (OAT). His primary affiliation is with the Research Group for Sustainable Energy Technologies at ITAS.

Dr. Baumann’s research focuses on the analysis of electrochemical energy storage systems, particularly under real-world conditions. His work emphasizes the development and application of system analysis methods, including Life Cycle Costing (LCC), Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), to evaluate the technical, ecological, and economic parameters of energy technologies. His expertise lies in the sustainability assessment of post-lithium battery technologies, such as sodium-ion and aluminum-based batteries, and he leads or co-leads several major research projects in this domain, including EPISODE, TwinVECTOR, and SIMBA.

The trends in Dr. Baumann’s recent publications (2023-2025) clearly indicate a strong and consistent focus on the sustainability and systems analysis of next-generation energy storage. His work integrates environmental, economic, and social dimensions, often employing advanced decision-making frameworks like MCDA to support technology development and policy. The recurring themes are prospective LCA of emerging batteries, comparative sustainability assessments of sodium-ion versus lithium-ion technologies, and the development of methodologies for holistic sustainability evaluation. He frequently collaborates with a large international network of researchers and institutions.

Dr. Baumann has held teaching positions, including as a Guest Professor at CNR-ITAE Messina in 2023 and as a Lecturer for 'Energy Systems I' at Hochschule Aalen from 2019 to 2022. He has been a key coordinator for the European Energy Research Alliance's Joint Programme on Energy Storage since 2018. He is an active organizer and speaker at major international conferences such as the Society and Materials (SAM) conference and the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) symposiums. His work is supported by numerous research grants from EU and national funding bodies that underpin his project leadership roles.

His research is conducted within a collaborative framework at ITAS and through extensive international networks. He is a core member of the POLiS (Post Lithium Storage) Excellence Cluster, where he leads the sustainability research field. His work involves close collaboration with partners in the EPISODE, TwinVECTOR, and SIMBA projects, creating a dynamic research environment focused on developing world-class, sustainable battery technologies.