A new Horizon Europe-funded project, EuroCZFactory, has officially launched with the aim of strengthening Europe's manufacturing capacity in one of the most critical segments of the solar photovoltaic (PV) value chain: silicon ingots and wafers.

The project was formally introduced during a two-day kick-off meeting held on 23–24 June 2026 in Trondheim, Norway, hosted by SINTEF. The meeting brought together 16 partners representing Europe's solar PV manufacturing, research and innovation sectors to align on the project's technical roadmap and establish its first implementation steps.

Addressing a key gap in the European PV value chain

EuroCZFactory focuses on the production of silicon ingots and wafers, the essential materials used to manufacture solar cells. Although Europe continues to accelerate the deployment of solar energy, the region currently has limited manufacturing capacity in this stage of the PV value chain.

Over the next 42 months, the consortium will develop technologies and manufacturing processes designed to support European Czochralski ingot and wafer production. The project will work on improving silicon crystal growth and wafer processing techniques, integrating digital technologies into manufacturing processes, and demonstrating these innovations through pilot operations using full-scale industrial equipment.

By strengthening capabilities at this early stage of solar manufacturing, EuroCZFactory aims to expand European expertise and technical know-how, help reduce the region's manufacturing gap, and contribute to future industrial initiatives supporting Europe's solar sector.

Consortium defines technical roadmap

During the kick-off meeting in Trondheim, project partners presented the initiative's main technical work areas, governance structure and coordination framework. Discussions also emphasized the importance of ensuring that EuroCZFactory is closely connected with broader European initiatives working to reinforce the continent's PV manufacturing ecosystem.

SolarPower Europe to lead communication and stakeholder engagement

As part of the project, SolarPower Europe will lead dissemination, exploitation and communication activities while also contributing to several strategic work packages.

In the project's initial phase, the association will coordinate stakeholder engagement with industrial companies, investors, policymakers, regional authorities and environmental, social and governance (ESG) experts. The objective is to identify bottlenecks, investment gaps and regulatory barriers that could affect the scale-up of European ingot and wafer manufacturing.

This work will also include mapping relevant European Union and regional funding opportunities, including the Innovation Fund, Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI) pathways, and regional investment channels that could support future manufacturing expansion.

Next steps

During the first months of implementation, the consortium will focus on establishing the project's technical specifications, coordinating activities among partners, and developing its visual identity and public communication channels.

According to the project partners, further information about EuroCZFactory will be released in the coming months as the initiative progresses.