I often think about how quickly the world around us is changing, and how quietly batteries sit at the center of that transformation. If we want to understand what 2026 may look like, we first have to recognize how deeply energy storage shapes the technologies we use and the ones we haven't yet imagined. That thought has stayed with me throughout my career: as our ambitions grow, the safety and reliability of the batteries that power them must grow just as quickly.

A few years ago, the idea of sodium-ion batteries becoming commercially meaningful still felt far away. They were promising in labs, but not yet ready for real-world use. Today, after recently testing early samples myself, I see clear signs that they are nearing practical viability. Their development is a reminder of how rapidly this field moves and how much can change in a short amount of time. In just two years, a technology can shift from theoretical to applicable. That pace is both exciting and demanding.

The evolution is not limited to chemistry alone. Battery formats are changing, materials research is accelerating, and new applications are emerging so quickly that they challenge longstanding assumptions about energy storage. Data from the International Energy Agency shows that global battery demand grew by 40% year-over-year, driven by both electric mobility and stationary storage deployments. Growth on that scale forces every part of the industry to rethink how energy is........

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