The Commission and the solar sector are going to negotiate on the best possible format for the partnership, which will enter into force from early 2025. SolarPower Europe is part of the Secretariat of ETIP PV, the European solar PV sector’s research representation to the European Commission.
The strategic plan will guide research and innovation (R&I) funding for the 2025-2027 period. European Partnerships bring the European Commission together with private and/or public partners to tackle some of Europe’s most pressing challenges through joint research and innovation initiatives.
Thomas Garabetian, member of the ETIP PV Secretariat, and R&I Manager at SolarPower Europe said: “Research and innovation is at the heart of solar; it’s been integral to mainstreaming the technology, supporting policy alignment, and bringing it from ‘lab-to-fab, from the research to the production phase.
Enhance the competitiveness of the European solar industry on a global scale
However, we will still need to address several research and innovation challenges over the coming years, to encourage scientific advancements, accelerate technological breakthroughs, and enhance the competitiveness of the European solar industry on a global scale.
For this reason, the inclusion of a co-programmed partnership for solar under the European Commission’s Horizon Europe Strategic Plan is a significant step for the industry, which will improve the coordination of R&I efforts along the rapidly evolving solar value chain.
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This partnership will be a crucial pillar to develop a resilient European solar supply chain, by helping European companies and research institutes to reduce their turnaround time between the laboratory and production phases, with better targeted R&I programmes that will help deliver innovation at scale.
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It will also be important for advancing new applications for solar such as building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and floating solar, and developing solutions to prioritise circularity within the solar industry.
As part of the ETIP PV Secretariat, we are looking forward to playing our part in transforming the European solar R&I framework.” (hcn)
