Deploying Electrochemical Energy Tech in the Real World

The Columbia Electrochemical Energy Center (CEEC) hosted its 2025 Fall Symposium Sept. 24 on Columbia’s Morningside Heights campus. The event brought together researchers, industry leaders, and students to explore how electrochemical technologies can help meet the world’s growing energy demands. 

“Just like most academic centers, we value academic impact,” said CEEC Co-Director Alan West, the Samuel Ruben-Peter G. Viele Professor of Electrochemistry and a professor of earth and environmental engineering at Columbia Engineering. “But we also value impact in the real world — we want to translate our discoveries into something that matters beyond academia.” 

In a testament to that ambition, CEEC has spun out five start-up companies in the last five years.

Over the course of the day, speakers and panelists examined three core themes: scalable electrochemical technologies in real-world settings, the optimal operation of electrochemical devices, and strategies to reduce dependence on critical materials while securing resilient supply chains. 

Each session featured a keynote address outlining the state of the field and its most promising frontiers, followed by panel discussions that tackled the practical and technical barriers to scaling up new systems. In keeping with CEEC’s mission to train the next generation of electrochemical engineers, PhD students concluded each session with brief presentations highlighting research conducted in collaboration with CEEC’s industrial partners. In parallel to the talks, CEEC’s 65 PhD students and postdocs curated a poster session, inviting attendees to dive deeper into their research across energy storage, conversion, and materials innovation.

Lead Photo Caption: Dan Steingart, CEEC Director and Stanley-Thompson Professor of Chemical Metallurgy

Lead Photo Credit: Brandon Vallejo/Columbia Engineering