Slovak technology company INO‑HUB Energy presented a commercial prototype of a vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) at its first INO‑HUB Energy Tech Day in Bratislava on 3 November 2026. The event — attended by customers, technology partners and a delegation from the European Commission — showcased the prototype as a long‑duration battery-energy storage system aimed at industrial sites and energy infrastructure.
Prototype, funding and technical claims
INO‑HUB described the unit as a commercial‑scale VRFB designed for long lifetime and high safety, noting that vanadium systems allow independent scaling of energy capacity and power output. Company CEO Rudolf Sihlovec told attendees the technology offers “long service life, safety and flexibility” and that the firm’s R&D work is moving from lab scale toward customer installations.
The firm said its work has been supported with European funding of “more than €17 million” and that representatives of the European Commission attended the Bratislava presentation. INO‑HUB also highlighted an in‑house software layer called AORTA+ that uses AI to model, optimise and control energy assets and to tailor solutions to customer load and generation profiles.
From prototype to production
INO‑HUB told attendees it plans a production and R&D facility in Kysucké Nové Mesto; the company said it already holds a valid building permit and completed implementation designs for the plant. The presentation included a technical tour of the prototype BESS on site in Bratislava and discussions of possible industrial use cases such as grid balancing, renewable firming and peak‑shaving at large energy users.
