The conference kick offed in the morning with opening remarks from ETIP PV Chair Rutger Schlatmann, who reminded those present of the enormous progress made in PV technology in the last twenty years and stated, that in a time of remarkable upheaval, “PV can provide many of the solutions we need.” This was followed by a keynote address from Vincent Berrutto, Head of Unit, Digitalisation, Competitiveness, Research and Innovation, at the Directorate General for Energy at the European Commission. He stressed the Commission’s commitment to advancing innovation and competitiveness for the clean energy sector and said: “Only by working together will we be able to create an energy landscape that is cleaner, more secure, and more competitive.”
In the first session, SolarPower Europe CEO Walburga Hemetsberger delivered a keynote assessing the current state of PV deployment, manufacturing, and investments in Europe. She highlighted that while solar power has made enormous progress in the last few years, challenges remain – and innovation will help us overcome those challenges. These include the need to scale up battery storage tenfold by 2030, advance flexible electrification, and ensuring that funds are available for innovation. She said: “It is about solar plus batteries, because the solar system is more and more a system that is combined with batteries. Solar plus batteries are often cheaper than fossil flexibility … We need to have 10 times more battery storage by 2030. This can get us the benefits of energy flexibility very quickly.”
The subsequent panel discussion, moderated by David Moser (Becquerel Institute), featured insights from Paula Dorado Miranda (DG ENER, European Commission), Ivona Kafedjiska (Helmholtz Berlin), Christian Breyer (LUT), and Nicola Baggio (FuturaSun). The panelists emphasised the importance of harmonising rules across Member States and supporting strategic industries to accelerate manufacturing and strengthen supply chain resilience.
The second session, moderated by Molly Morgan (CRU), focused on the competitive dynamics within the PV value chain and adjacent industries. Peter Fath, from RCT Solutions, delivered a charismatic keynote on understanding competitiveness dynamics that demonstrated a mixture of pessimism and hope for the future, highlighting not only the challenges but also “how humans can shape the planet in a positive way.” This followed by a panel discussion with Jennifer Karle (DG GROW, European Commission), Alden Lee (DAS Solar), Domenico Sartore (Ecoprogetti), Dominic Buchholz (Green Energy Venture), and Laura Miranda (Oxford PV). Discussions centred on technological innovations, industry policy, and the strategic investments needed in Europe’s path towards PV leadership.
The final session addressed the financial roadblocks holding back next-generation PV solutions. Greg Arrowsmith (Eurec) presented a keynote on the forthcoming EU Competitiveness Fund, discussing how it should be structured to support innovation. The panel, moderated by Delfina Munoz (CEA), included Beatrice Coda (DG RTD, European Commission), Marina Foti (3Sun), Pablo Ortiz (Tecnalia), and Yannick Veschetti (Heliup). They explored the strategic use of the Innovation Fund and upcoming FP10 opportunities, unlocking funding, scaling up innovative technologies, and strengthening Europe's leading position in solar PV innovation.
The conference underscored the critical need to fast-track PV deployment and innovation by aligning technological advances, supportive regulation, industrial strength, and shared commitment to achieve Europe’s energy objectives.
At SolarPower Europe, we are looking forward to continuing our discussions on everything solar research and innovation, and playing our part in driving European solar R&I forwards.
For more information on the ETIP PV Annual Conference 2025, please visit the ETIP PV website.
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