Battery behemoth Johnson Controls and Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI, announced Jan. 29 that they will team to identify and validate new energy-storage technologies for vehicles. Johnson Controls says it will donate and install state-of-the-art test equipment and deploy technical resources to the university to propel academic and applied research into optimizing vehicle and battery design. “We believe strongly in building the next generation of technical leaders through academic partnerships,” said MaryAnn Wright, Vice President of Engineering and Product Development for Johnson Controls Power Solutions. “Our partnership with LTU is an example of our commitment to developing new battery technologies. It is also an investment in both the future of academic research in energy management as well the development of the talent pipeline for our industry,” said Wright, who joined LTU’s board of trustees in 2013. LTU will leverage its faculty expertise and research facilities in energy-storage systems, electrification applications, modeling and simulation, and vehicle testing to assist Johnson Controls in meeting its R&D objectives, LTU said in a press release. Johnson Controls Power Solutions says it is the global leader in lead-acid automotive batteries and advanced batteries for stop-start, hybrid, and electric vehicles, and was the first company in the world to produce lithium-ion batteries for mass-production hybrid vehicles.