Portal U de A

By: Margarita Rivera Motato, journalist at UdeA Communications Department 

Through a partnership with Tronex, researchers from UdeA’s CIDEMAT and GIMEL are launching the Battery Diagnostic Center (CDB), a pioneering facility of its kind in Latin America. Located in La Estrella, a municipality in Antioquia, this "clinic" will enable the evaluation, definition of useful life, remanufacturing, and increased efficiency of raw materials for batteries, which are increasingly used for electric transportation and the energy ecosystem. This challenge requires considering the circularity of materials and the environmental impact of their final disposal. 

The CDB launch event at the La Troja warehouse complex brings together representatives from academia, industry, and the public sector in a space for dialogue and inter-institutional coordination. The Center's service agenda is launched with the presentation of research results and real-time diagnostic demonstrations. Photo: Faculty of Engineering, UdeA 

The Battery Diagnostic Center (CDB) was presented this Thursday, September 11, 2025, by UdeA in collaboration with the company Tronex through the Faculty of Engineering. The Center is committed to providing specialized technical support and comprehensive diagnostics for batteries used in electric mobility and stationary systems. The objective is to extend the useful life of these devices, avoid their premature disposal and encourage their reuse in new applications to contribute to the circularity of materials and environmental sustainability.  

This Center is the result of a research project developed by UdeA’s Center for Research, Innovation and Development of Materials (CIDEMAT) and the Efficient Energy Management Group (GIMEL), and was supported by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. 

The research initiative that gave rise to the project, which involved the Universidad Tecnológica del Chocó in its initial phases, was the response to an urgent need in the transition toward decarbonized transportation systems: The responsible management of rechargeable batteries. Jorge Andrés Calderón Gutiérrez, a professor in the Materials Engineering program and project leader, explained that the Center is the result of more than a decade of research by CIDEMAT, which has been working on energy storage systems and devices since 2013. 

Today, this result is brought about by the involvement of Tronex, a company with more than 50 years of experience, from the beginning. "The company trusted the University, and we trusted in that support because it's necessary to begin research with allies interested in scientific solutions if we want it to truly have a social impact," said Professor Calderón. 

Federico Vásquez Jiménez, director of special projects at Tronex, explained that the university-business-state partnership is valuable because it enables capacity building through knowledge management and open innovation. "Our fundamental belief is that the organization is called on to realize a purpose: To generate value for society. We find the University a great ally because it helps us close knowledge gaps to generate capabilities that give us an advantage," he said. 

A context that demands innovative solutions 

The need for these types of initiatives is part of the accelerated growth in the use of energy from renewable sources such as solar and wind energy, both in Colombia and around the world. In particular, the use of electric transportation—buses, cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and scooters—has increased significantly in urban centers as part of efforts to reduce the transportation sector's carbon footprint. 

According to the latest data on new vehicle sales in Colombia, electric vehicle sales grew 148% in August 2025 compared to the same month last year, while hybrid vehicle sales increased 66%. Total growth in 2025 was 173.5%, according to consolidated information from the Asociación Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia (ANDI) (National Businessmen Association of Colombia) and the Federación Nacional de Comerciantes Empresarios (Fenalco) (National Federation of Tradesmen). 

This technological transformation poses, among other challenges, the need to properly manage rechargeable electric mobility batteries at the end of their useful life, which is currently around eight years. Failure to do so can lead to environmental problems due to the toxic materials that the batteries contain and the difficulty of disposing of them safely. 

"Unlike single-use batteries, rechargeable battery packs require diagnostics. Some cells may be in good condition while others may not. With the functional ones, we can remanufacture new batteries and save up to 90% in raw materials," said Vásquez Jiménez. 

This is where the CBD becomes particularly important. It offers tools to assess battery health, determine their remaining lifespan, and adapt them to new functions. 

Cutting-edge technology and specialized talent 

The Battery Diagnostic Center employs cutting-edge technology and highly trained personnel to perform customized, industrial-scale diagnostics. The evaluation protocols, developed at UdeA based on international standards, allow for precise testing of new, in-use, or discarded batteries. 

The Center's capabilities include remaining life projection models, battery state of health (SOH) analysis, and the implementation of strategies to extend battery life. These developments can reduce diagnostic times by up to 90%, which represents a competitive advantage over other traditional methods. 

Furthermore, the CDB is equipped to conduct evaluations under extreme conditions —environmental, thermal, and electrical— which guarantees the reliability of its results and the safety of battery reuse. 

The project was one of the winners of the "From Battery to Potential" award, granted by the Inter-American Development Bank in 2025. This award recognizes transformation and innovation initiatives in the energy sector that contribute to environmental protection and energy recirculation. Photo: Faculty of Engineering, UdeA 

Services for multiple sectors 

Located in a Tronex Group warehouse, the CDB is aimed at various stakeholders in the energy and electric mobility ecosystem, including electric vehicle assemblers and dealers, insurance, and automotive companies; charging station operators; stationary storage battery marketers and assemblers; and companies requiring energy backup for buildings, telecommunications, or solar and wind farms. 

With the opening of the Center, this sector will find a portfolio that includes, among other activities, energy storage capacity evaluation, battery life determination, current drain analysis, and battery repair. With these services, companies will be able to optimize their energy resources, reduce operating costs, and comply with increasingly stringent environmental standards. 

An alliance for technological and environmental development 

With the creation of the Center, UdeA reaffirms its commitment to applied research and the solution of real-world problems. With more than two decades of experience in the study of energy storage, CIDEMAT puts its knowledge and technical capacity at the service of society to drive the energy transition. 

For its part, Tronex contributes its experience in energy solutions and its business vision to scale the Center's impact and bring its services nationwide. "We both have different dynamics. The key is aligning objectives and goals. It can't be a transactional relationship, but rather a close-knit alliance. The great value lies in the lessons learned that go beyond the project. This paves the way for other companies and universities to generate value through open innovation," said the Tronex representative. 

The Office for the Transfer of Research Results (OTRI), attached to the Division of Innovation, UdeA’s Vice-Rector’s Office for Outreach, and the Faculty of Engineering’s Innovation Unit supported the Center with studies and analyses of technological opportunities, intellectual property, technological surveillance, and business model design. 

Work is underway to consolidate the alliance between UdeA and Tronex. During the Center's first year of pilot services, this will enable the collection of commercial and technical data to evaluate the feasibility of establishing a company with independent legal status, which would achieve a novel business model unprecedented in Colombia, with environmental, technological, and commercial impact. 

According to Professor Calderón, the project leader, this launch is expected to kickstart new collaborations and lines of work to develop clean and sustainable technologies. Furthermore, the CDB will continue to serve as a space for applied research. It will initially operate with a team of five people and is considering student participation in internships. 

Tronex SAS is a company dedicated, among other things, to providing solutions to the energy sector. In the 1980s, it started producing and distributing single-use batteries for electronic devices and has since developed various energy solutions, including rechargeable battery manufacturing. Among its social responsibility programs, Recopila stands out. This post-consumer program, recognizable by its green, battery-shaped containers located throughout the city, aims to make it easier to dispose of used batteries. 

Consistent with this commitment, the Center is not a finish line for this company but rather the beginning of many projects that can transform society. "We want other companies and universities to be encouraged to generate value through these types of partnerships," explained Federico Vásquez. “The Battery Diagnostic Center is a key tool for the country's energy transition. We want Medellín and Colombia to know that we now have a world-class center to support electric mobility and the circular economy," concluded Calderón. 

With this initiative, UdeA and its partners show that building a cleaner, fairer, and more sustainable future is possible. They achieve this through science, innovation, and collaboration.