Introduction

The International Flow Battery Forum (IFBF) is a conference and educational business. It is not a trade association. The purpose of the IFBF is to raise the profile of flow batteries as a crucial technology within the electrical energy storage sector. Our agenda is guided by proposals from delegates and offers topics such as reviews of the latest flow battery projects, supply of raw materials and components, and research from laboratories, universities and public and private companies.

Antitrust laws and trade regulations promote vigorous and fair competition, and combat various restraints of trade. It is the policy of the IFBF to comply fully with antitrust laws and trade regulations.

Guidelines

All staff, committee members, suppliers, customers and delegates who participate in the International Flow Battery Forum’s activities, including social events or industrial visits, have a responsibility to avoid any improper conduct in relation to antitrust laws and trade regulations, and to eliminate any possible infringements of competition laws. The exchange and disclosure of commercially sensitive information must be avoided during any discussion. Such commercially sensitive information covers any non-public strategic information about a business’s commercial policy. It includes, but is not limited to:  

• Information on customers, suppliers, volume of sales, market shares, capacities, geographic markets or specific products
• Prices, credit conditions, other commercial conditions and terms of sale, refunds and rebates, production costs, profit and profit margin information
• Marketing plans, R&D plans, business development, strategy and investment plans
• Purchasing plans or bidding plans (including bid/no-bid for specific projects) and
• Any other information about actual or future competitive behaviour or information that is generally considered to be a business secret.

Information is not considered to be commercially sensitive if it is in the public domain, it is historic, it is sufficiently aggregated to lose its sensitivity, or it does not relate to parameters of competition.

All staff, committee members and delegates will be notified of the Antitrust policy and guidelines.

If you are aware of any improper conduct, please notify the IFBF secretary in the first instance. The IFBF reserves the right to inform the Competition and Markets Authority if it has due cause to believe that staff, committee members, suppliers, customers or delegates participating at the IFBF have shown improper behaviour or behaviour which could be considered to constitute cartel activity. 

A member of staff found in breach of the antitrust policy may face disciplinary action or, in the event of a serious breach, termination of employment. Committee members, suppliers, customers and delegates outside of the organisation may face a form of corrective action.

If you have any further questions regarding this Antitrust Policy please contact the IFBF secretary:

Anthony Price
Secretary
info@flowbatteryforum.com
+44 (0)1666 840948

Updated 21 March 2022