Ferro expands PV technology center capability in Asia

CLEVELAND, USA: Ferro Corp. is expanding capability in its Suzhou, China, and Taipei, Taiwan, photovoltaic (PV) technology centers as part of a wide-ranging plan to support growth in the Asian marketplace.

Ferro’s existing Technology Center in Suzhou is currently being expanded to meet the increased demand from solar cell manufacturers in China. The new Advanced Technology Center in Taiwan is expected to be completed by the end of 2010 and will be equipped with state-of-the-art solar cell printing and firing equipment.

Both labs will be capable of building prototype solar cells and will be complemented by a complete range of solar cell characterization instruments. “These labs will provide for rapid product customization to meet evolving customer requirements,” said Steve Florio, CTO, Electronic Color and Glass Materials Group.

As a second part of an initiative to expand its photovoltaic technology capabilities in Asia, Ferro Electronic Materials has commissioned space in Singapore to open a Center for Excellence focused on new product development supporting Ferro’s rapidly growing solar materials product line in Southeast Asia.

The facility will expand Ferro’s R&D capabilities for next generation materials. The center will be located in Singapore Science Park and will house a solar materials laboratory to perform basic research and development activities, as well as technology staff to support the rapidly emerging solar market in Southeast Asia.

Jeffrey Edel, global business director, Ferro Electronic Materials, said, “Through these expansions, Ferro continues to provide leadership in our ability to rapidly support customers and to deliver optimized and innovative solutions that improve the efficiency of solar cells and lower costs of PV cell production.”