The 4th International Symposium on Lithium Battery Fire Safety was successfully held on 30 October - 2 November 2025

The Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering (BEEE) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is delighted to share with you that the 4th International Symposium on Lithium Battery Fire Safety (ISLBFS 2025) was successfully held on 30 October - 2 November 2025! 

This year, Hong Kong, which is a vibrant Asia's world city, was selected to organize the ISLBFS 2025! The symposium was hosted by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and organized by the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering (BEEE) and the Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE). The conference was chaired by BEEE Associate Professor Xinyan Huang.

The symposium received strong support from numerous prestigious organizations including the International Association of Fire Safety Science (IAFSS), University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), China University of Petroleum (East China), National Institute of Guangdong Advanced Energy Storage, International Association of Disaster Reduction and Emergency Management(IADREM), Society of Fire Protection Engineers Foundation (SFPE), City University of Hong Kong, China Energy Storage Alliance (CNESA), National Fire Protection Association Foundation (NFPA), and the Fire Division of Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE). 

It is our honour to have Prof. Christopher Chao, Senior Vice President (Research and Innovation) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Prof. Meng Ni, Associate Dean of Faculty of Construction and Environment and Head of Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, and Prof. Qingsong Wang, the symposium founding chairman from University of Science and Technology of China, to deliver welcome speeches at the opening ceremony.

In the Symposium, more than 300 delegates from over 20 different countries and regions, including China, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, South Korea, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Italy, France, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, India, New Zealand, and others, shared their valuable insights towards the recent developments in lithium battery safety, fire dynamics, risk assessment, safety technologies, fire impact assessment, simulation methods, and industrial applications.

The first day of the symposium includes 10 plenary lectures by the world’s leading experts, including Prof. Jennifer Wen, REng from University of Surrey and Prof. Li Wang from Tsinghua University. A special highlight of the first day was the Roundtable Discussion session moderated by Prof. Wojciech Węgrzyński from the Building Research Institute of Poland, where Prof. Michael G.Pecht, Dr Anil Kapahi, Dr Li Wang, and Dr Francesco Restuccia engaged in thought-provoking discussions about the future pathways, technologies, standards, and industrialization of lithium battery fire safety. Topics included the application of artificial intelligence in battery fire prevention, safety challenges in battery recycling and reuse, and international standards coordination, generating lively interaction and debate among participants.

From Day 2, the symposium presented 6 Keynote Lectures, along with 120 oral presentations in 6 parallel sessions focusing on the topic of "Battery Fire Dynamics", "Battery Fire Risk", "Battery Safety Technology", "Battery Fire Impact", "Battery Fire Simulation Methods", and "Battery Industry Forum". The symposium also featured 40 poster presentations showcasing cutting-edge research from emerging scholars.

In the closing ceremony, we had an award presentation session where outstanding contributions were recognized. A total of 13 Best Paper Awards, 6 Best Poster Awards, and 15 Best Oral Presentation Awards were presented by Prof. Qingsong Wang and Prof. Jinhua Sun from USTC. Congratulations to all of the awardees! These awards not only recognize the exceptional work of young scholars in academic research and innovative practice but also point towards the future direction of lithium battery safety - from "passive prevention" to "proactive warning" and from "single technology" to "interdisciplinary integration".

Selected high-quality papers from the symposium have been invited for submission to three journal special issues, ensuring the dissemination of cutting-edge research findings to the broader scientific community.

Undoubtedly, this symposium provides an excellent platform for scientists, engineers, industrial practitioners, and governmental policy makers to exchange ideas and seek collaborations on the development and applications of lithium battery safety technologies. As the new energy industry continues its rapid advancement, lithium battery safety will become crucial for ensuring supply chain stability.

We'd like to thank all participants for joining our Symposium and contributing to its success, looking forward to the next conference!

Conference website: https://batteryfire2025.com/