IEST Instrument and Nanoyang at Tianjin University Establish Joint Laboratory for Advanced Battery Research

Figure 1. Unveiling ceremony of the Nanoyang–IEST Instrument Joint Laboratory at Tianjin University.

1. Bridging Fundamental Research and Precision Characterization

Professor Yang Quanhong, leader of the Nanoyang research group, delivered the opening address. He described the group’s founding philosophy — “Tell interesting stories, do useful research” — and outlined Nanoyang’s research focus on carbon functional materials, covering structural design, preparation science, and energy storage and conversion mechanisms, with the overarching goal of building a full-chain dense energy storage pathway from materials to devices.

Professor Yang Quanhong emphasized that exploring the fundamental scientific questions underlying high-energy-density, high-safety battery systems requires advanced characterization tools that many laboratory environments lack. “Many interesting phenomena discovered in our lab are limited by the resolution or in-situ characterization capability of existing equipment, making them difficult to quantify accurately or transition to engineering,” he noted. The joint laboratory is designed to address this gap by integrating Nanoyang’s frontier mechanism research with IEST‘s precision instruments — combining research capabilities with industrial testing expertise to tackle challenges in lithium-sulfur batteries, solid-state batteries, and beyond.

Figure 2. Professor Yang Quanhong delivering the opening address at the Nanoyang–IEST Instrument Joint Laboratory unveiling ceremony.

2. Strategic Positioning: A Platform for the Northern China Market

Mr. Zhang Xinghua, General Manager of IEST Instrument, outlined the Joint Laboratory’s strategic positioning at the ceremony:

• As a market gateway: The lab will serve as IEST’s display window and testing center for the northern China market, providing regional customers with more efficient and professional testing services and technical support.
• As a research platform: It will function as a critical support platform for Nanoyang’s fundamental research and industrial technology development, leveraging advanced characterization methods to enable breakthroughs in carbon material structural design and dense energy storage pathways.

“This partnership represents a milestone in IEST’s development,” Mr. Zhang stated. “By collaborating deeply with a world-class research group, we aim to internalize frontier mechanistic research capabilities as the core driving force for our own technology upgrades, further strengthening our foundation of technology-driven enterprise development.”

Figure 3. The Nanoyang–IEST Instrument Joint Laboratory unveiling ceremony at Tianjin University, March 23, 2026.

3. Industry Significance: A Model for Academia-Industry Integration

For the broader new energy battery industry, the establishment of the Joint Laboratory offers a replicable model for deep academia-industry integration. The partnership between Nanoyang at Tianjin University and IEST Instrument demonstrates how combining academic research excellence with industrial precision instrumentation can accelerate the translation of fundamental discoveries into practical battery characterization solutions — contributing tangible value to the global new energy industry upgrade.

4. About Nanoyang Group

The Nanoyang research group at Tianjin University is a advanced carbon and energy materials laboratory specializes in carbon functional materials for energy storage, with a focus on structural design, preparation science, and energy storage and conversion mechanisms. The group has published extensively on dense energy storage pathways, lithium-sulfur batteries, and advanced carbon materials for next-generation battery systems.

5. About IEST Instrument

IEST Instrument is a pioneering technical service provider in the field of advanced energy storage devices, committed to providing efficient and world-leading testing solutions for global electrochemical, energy storage, helping customers’ R&D success and quality improvement. To date, IEST’s instruments are deployed across more than 40 countries and regions, has provided more than 6,000 instruments to more than 1300 customers around the world. including power battery manufacturers, research institutions, and universities.