Dr. Gideon Schwich co-founded and co-leads cylib GmbH in 2022 alongside Dr Lilian Schwich and Paul Sabarny. He holds a PhD in Production Engineering/Metallurgy from RWTH Aachen University. Before co-founding cylib, he led the Sustainability practice at umlaut/Accenture, managing a team of consultants and advising major European automotive OEMs and aerospace manufacturers on sustainability strategies. His extensive sustainability consulting experience and operational leadership have been instrumental in scaling cylib's operations and driving strategic growth.
About cylib:
cylib is a holistic and sustainable battery recycling company founded in 2022 in Aachen, Germany, by Dr. Lilian Schwich, Paul Sabarny, and Dr. Gideon Schwich. The company emerged from research conducted at RWTH Aachen University to produce advanced materials for sustainable batteries and resilient European value chains. cylib operates an integrated network across Germany: research and development at the Aachen headquarters, hydrometallurgical processing in Dormagen (under construction), and mechanical processing in Bavaria.
The water-based OLiC (Optimized Lithium and Graphite Recovery) technology efficiently recovers raw materials from battery packs, black mass, or production scrap, achieving over 90% recovery rates for lithium, graphite, nickel, cobalt, and manganese with an 80% reduced carbon footprint compared to primary extraction, enabling true material circularity.
Books and links mentioned
Connect with Gideon Schwich and Cylib
About the Host
David Hunt
David Hunt is a cleantech thought leader, podcast host, and former executive search and solar EPC founder. As Non-Executive Chair and a long-time advisor to growth-stage and scaling businesses, he brings deep insight into leadership, energy transition, and the future of climate-focused industries. David supports businesses as a NED and Advisor via Stoa Advisory, and through his podcast and writing, David explores the people, ideas, and innovations shaping a more sustainable world.
About the Podcast
Leaders in Cleantech explores the people, ideas, and decisions shaping the energy transition. Through in-depth conversations with founders, CEOs, investors, and industry leaders, the podcast focuses on leadership, scaling companies, and the realities of building in a complex and rapidly evolving sector.
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