The company ABR Austrian Battery Research Laboratory GmbH was founded on July 1st, 2004 by DI Georg Dombazian, Prof. Dr. Hans Hauser and DI Martin Wieger as a spin-off of the former Electrochemical Energy Storage Systems working group of the Institute of Materials in Electrical Engineering at the Vienna University of Technology. The technology center in Eisenstadt was chosen as the company's location, where the young company initially set up two laboratories and one office space.

From the very beginning, the company was concerned with providing testing services in the field of batteries, as well as carrying out research and development on electrochemical energy storage systems and equipment that are required and used in the production, testing and operation of energy storage systems. The focus of the activities was on lead-acid batteries for automotive and stationary applications. R&D activities to investigate the effects of aging on starter batteries, as well as the development and application of test methods and procedures for recording the condition of the battery, as well as the implementation of measures to improve this condition, rounded off the company's work program from the very beginning.

In the area of ​​testing services, ABR succeeded in carrying out all consumer protection tests on starter batteries in Europe as the exclusive testing laboratory for the European ARCs and the consumer protection organizations under the leadership of the German Stiftung Warentests.

In addition to early and good, internationally expanding business development in the area of ​​​​executing testing services, the ABR company was able to enter into high-profile development cooperations with the Daimler, Audi and Porsche groups and later also with VW as early as 2006 thanks to its scientific expertise, together with the battery manufacturer Moll Batterien. Here, ABR was able to make a significant contribution to the further development and upgrading of the lead-acid battery for modern start-stop and recuperation applications in vehicles of the German automotive industry. Several scientific publications, as well as the registration and granting of patents and other protective rights, resulted from this.

At the same time, the ABR company also expanded in the area of ​​​​device development. In the area of ​​​​standard technology, ABR supplies a number of customers with laboratory equipment. In the R&D area, special devices and prototypes for special charging technologies in the area of ​​​​battery production were developed and sold.

Due to the untimely death of the company's shareholder and scientific mentor, Prof. Dr. Hauser, company shares were transferred to a medium-sized German entrepreneur, Mr. Gotthold Keller. From this cooperation with the owner of the medium-sized company in the automotive supply sector, SET System Elektrotechnik, ABR primarily expected synergies in the marketing of its own developments, as well as a further strengthening of business relations with the production departments of the German automotive industry.

As a result, the laboratory area was further expanded from 2007, the number of test circuits and testing options was significantly increased, and additional premises were added to carry out the diverse testing and development activities.

In 2007, ABR also documented the quality label that had been in place since the company was founded by completing certification in accordance with the DIN EN ISO 9001 standard.

After completing a second development cooperation in the area of ​​start-stop and recuperation, ABR entered into various research activities with other, also leading European OEMs and automotive suppliers.

In connection with this, the business area increasingly expanded to non-European, primarily Asian regions, where ABR was also able to establish itself as a reliable contact for carrying out standard-compliant battery routine tests as well as special tests. The preparation and execution of reports round off the company's area of ​​activity.

From 2010, tests of starter batteries and their battery status sensors were again carried out more frequently as part of vehicle testing. In the area of ​​in-house development, the company once again focused on developing processes and low-cost equipment based on them to improve the condition of starter batteries.

In mid-2014, the company separated from its corporate ties with SET System Elektrotechnik and DI Martin Wieger took over the majority of the company shares.

In subsequent financial years with consistent and stable economic conditions, the human resources department was further expanded and the ABR team has been working on its tasks and activities with the same composition for several years now. Starting in 2016, Mr. David Rabel also represents the company independently as an authorized signatory.

From 2017 onwards, the company's commitment to storage systems in other technologies, primarily lithium, increased both in the area of ​​laboratory routine and in the area of ​​R&D. In connection with this, the company also began to carry out more safety and abuse tests in all technology areas.

In 2019, in cooperation with a leading European ARC partner, the company began to focus its know-how in the area of ​​battery condition determination on the development of a special method for recording the battery condition using a short test.

After a long preparation period, the accreditation of the testing laboratory department of ABR according to the internationally valid laboratory standard ISO 17025 was completed in 2020. Since then, the testing laboratory has had the ability to test according to almost all common international standards (DIN EN, SAE, JIS) and to issue reports to the accredited extent.

ABR works according to the principles of a modern development and testing laboratory.

The ABR company wants to impress its customers with solid and high-quality standard tests, as well as with professional support in the creation and development of special tests for a wide range of customer requests, as well as their subsequent implementation and processing in the testing laboratory. Quality plays a particularly important role for the ABR team.

The company maintains an open, clear and long-standing good communication style in its dealings with customers and employees.

ABR documents the particularly high importance of quality management through certification according to ISO 9001 in 2007, as well as the accreditation of the testing laboratory according to the most important international standards (DIN EN, JIS; SAE, ...) and factory standards of the relevant industry according to DIN EN 17025, in 2020.

"The high quality policy that I introduced when the company was founded and have always lived by since then is one of the principles of my company," emphasizes Managing Director Dipl.-Ing. Martin Wieger. "Our employees are very challenged every day by the associated requirements and daily measures," adds the company boss, "but precise work and precise documentation of our activities is simply one of the keys to the long-term successful positioning of the Austrian company on the international market!"

The employees are highly trained specialists in all the necessary specialist areas and have many years of experience in dealing with batteries and electrochemical storage systems.

Under the leadership of founder and owner DI Martin Wieger and Mr. David Rabel, who has also represented the company externally as an authorized signatory since 2016 and as managing director since 2024, the highly motivated ABR team carries out all assigned tasks and activities 365 days a year in the interests of its customers.

"We have been doing our work for quite a long time now, but we still enjoy it a lot and we put our heart and soul into it," says managing director David Rabel, describing the always optimistic team spirit.

Dipl.-Ing. Martin Wieger

David Rabel

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