Solliance Opens New Laboratory

North Brabant’s Executive of Economic Affairs, Bert Pauli, opened a unique laboratory today on Eindhoven’s High Tech Campus that was specially built for Solliance. Under Solliance, research institutes and universities – working in close cooperation with industry – combine forces in the development of thin-film PV (photovoltaic) solar cells. The new building includes a unique infrastructure for pilot production that will enable the development of related activities.

Solliance is a cross-border cooperation between six research institutes (ECN, TNO, TU Eindhoven, Holst Centre, imec and Forschungszentrum Jülich) that have joined forces in the field of thin-film solar cells. Together with industry, Solliance focuses on the entire value chain – from new materials and concepts to production technology and applications.

With its active alliance, Solliance aims to create synergies wherever possible. The new lab includes a unique roll-to-roll, pre-pilot machine for the creation of organic solar cells on foils and a pre-pilot line for CIGS modules (copper, indium, galllium, selenide/sulfide). This infrastructure is also suitable for the development of OLED (organic LED) and printed electronics.

This creates additional synergy and strengthens the goal of generating new business and commercial spin-offs in the ELAt region (Eindhoven-Leuven-Aachen triangle). Through consortia, the Solliance network encompasses numerous companies – including DSM, VDL, Smit Ovens – and these companies will make use of the new building’s unique infrastructure.

In addition to Solliance, the Solar Energy Application Centre (SEAC) has found a new work environment in the Solliance building. SEAC is a collaboration between ECN, TNO and approximately 40 other Dutch companies working in the field of solar energy applications. ECN and TNO’s sideline activities are also housed in the new building.

The Brabant Development Agency (BOM) played an important role in Solliance’s creation and is still directly involved in the alliance. Today, the BOM announced that Brabant has made its first investment from the Clean-tech Fund by investing in Smit Ovens. This investment will allow Smit Ovens – a machine builder located in Son and Breugel, an important niche player in the global solar industry and Solliance partner – to take further steps in the development of a new generation of production machines for the thin-film segment.