IVORY Hong Kong · European Inventor Award 2026
The Inventors
Yu Haijun and Xie Yinghao. A portrait for the European Patent Office.
The invention
Yu Haijun and Xie Yinghao of Brunp Recycling developed a method that turns the cathodes of used lithium ion batteries into material for new ones. The process recovers nickel, cobalt, manganese and lithium and reuses parts of the existing cathode structure. At the ceremony in Berlin in July 2026 the team won the category for inventors from outside the EPO member states and the Popular Prize.
The series
The portrait is one of thirteen films IVORY produced for the European Patent Office, filmed in thirteen countries over 26 shoot days. International crews worked with local production support, and post production was coordinated centrally so that every film follows one visual approach.
13 countries · 26 shoot days · 352 deliverables