This panel of experts from industry, policy and research will explore and analyse the landscape of PV manufacturing in Europe and globally, focusing on the scalability and industrial viability of emerging technologies. Participants can expect a dynamic exchange on Europe's strategic positioning in the global PV market, with particular attention to China's current dominance and the potential pathways for European nations to challenge or complement this status.
Key themes will include whether Europe should prioritize utility scale production or concentrate on specialized, high value segments; or the economic rationale for targeting only domestic versus global markets. The discussion will also address the implications of betting on breakthrough technologies like perovskites, as well as the resilience of the silicon value chain in supporting Europe's ambitions.
Further attention will be given to the political and economic bottlenecks facing European manufacturers, such as high production costs, support mechanisms or the need for a long-term industrial strategy. The panel will examine lessons learned from past initiatives (such as the CIGS experience) and current industrial decisions like 3SUN’s shift towards HJT instead of the market dominant TOPCon.
Finally, the conversation will assess whether the European Commission's technology-neutral stance remains viable in a world where industrial policy is increasingly shaped by geopolitical and strategic considerations.
