Attending EIT Raw Materials - SUMMED-PV

Last week, one of our colleagues had the opportunity to attend a Summer School hosted by EIT RawMaterials Academy , on the campus of the Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca , in Italy.

EIT RawMaterials, initiated and funded by the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology), a body of the European Union, is the largest consortium in the raw materials sector worldwide. Its vision is to develop raw materials into a major strength for Europe. Its mission is to enable sustainable competitiveness of the European minerals, metals and materials sector along the value chain by driving innovation, education and entrepreneurship.

The five-day hands-on Summer School included classes and training that aimed to help attendees understand the importance of Raw Materials as a key enabler of photovoltaic development in the European ecosystem and a prerequisite to achieving the targets of the EU Green Deal.

SUMMED-PV explained how and why some materials are classified as “critical” based on natural resource distribution, economic and geopolitical factors, and – in a more modern view – environmental factors.

All the lectures were challenge-based and stimulated new ideas and initiatives toward the market. The interest in business idea development and start-up setup was supplemented by the interaction with experts operating in the SUMMED-PV partners, including industrial and start-up companies, who have specific experience in the topic.

Overall, the experience was very interesting. As the only Canadian representative there, we learned more about the PV market in Europe, the policies and regulations that shape it, the R&D aspect, and how solar simulators can contribute to its growth and development.

Thank you to the organizers and lecturers who took part in SUMMED-PV: AIKO Energy , Hochschule Anhalt , The International University College of Turin , Bitron , FuturaSun , 9-Tech , University of Luxembourg and others!