Europe has fallen too far behind in battery technology and should seek partnerships with Chinese groups instead of trying to set up a rival industry, bosses of two of the region’s major metals companies have said.

Their comments come as the continent is still reeling from the collapse this year of Northvolt, the Swedish start-up that was one of Europe’s best funded start-ups and a symbol of efforts to break reliance on China for batteries used in electric vehicles.

But the chair of French miner Eramet, which produces metals used in battery production, and the chief executive of Umicore, a specialist in the production and recycling of battery materials, told the Financial Times that a push to develop an entirely autonomous European industry would not work.