To formalise the launch of the EUPI-PV, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, on behalf of ETIP PV, and Joanna Drake, Deputy Director-General for Research and Innovation, on behalf of the European Commission. The signature took place during the opening session of the SolarPower Summit conference opening session on 26 March in Brussels, Belgium.
The EUPI-PV, set up under the Horizon Europe programme, brings together leading minds from research and industry, represented by ETIP PV. The objective is to accelerate the market uptake of solar PV innovations by strengthening research and innovation (R&I) across the PV value chain and ensuring consistency between European research and innovation efforts for solar PV. The signing of the Partnership marks a major step in uniting European efforts to advance solar technology and sustainability.
Joana Drake stated “Europe is re-inventing itself as the leader in solar R&I. We need to drastically step up our efforts to support the solar industry in Europe”. Rutger Schlatmann, Chair of ETIP PV, and Head of the division Solar Energy at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie (HZB) continued “At ETIP PV, we are very much looking forward to collaborating with the European Commission on this new Partnership! Solar PV is a crucial technology for our continent, as confirmed by this diligently prepared partnership by research, industry, and policy makers. The partnership is of vital importance for both European PV research and industry as it will enable the two to collaborate and innovate on a scale in an efficient and transparent manner, while being supported by the European Commission. Finally, through the partnership, Europe also stands united in its strategic goal to create an EU-based PV-manufacturing eco system, for both traditional Si-based and innovative PV technologies.”
The Partnership is governed by a Partnership Board and supported by leading industry and research associations, as well as the SET Plan Implementation Working Group, ensuring that the work stays aligned with Europe’s broader energy goals. It leverages the well-established structure of ETIP PV and works closely with the key associations shaping the PV research and innovation landscape SolarPower Europe, EERA-
PV, ESMC, EUREC, and PVthin. This collaboration ensures that the EU’s support for PV innovation is better aligned with the real priorities of the sector and that industry has a stronger voice in the research process.
Learn more about EUPI-PV and how it’s shaping the future of solar: https://etip-pv.eu/eupi-pv/
Contact:
ETIP PV Secretariat : Rania Fki, WIP Renewable Energies (rania.fki@wip-munich.de)
