Innovation key to future of European PV manufacturing, says NexWafe CEO

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
EU PV manufacturers must innovate as well as scale up, said NexWafe CEO Davor Sutija. Image: NexWafe

Europe’s PV manufacturing industry must take full advantage of available policy and funding levers to reassert itself as a leading force again, according to the CEO of German wafer producer NexWafe.

In a guest article published today on PV Tech, Davor Sutija, CEO of Freiburg-based NexWafe, said European PV manufacturing stood at “crossroads”, where the reshoring of the industry was “not just an economic imperative but a strategic necessity”.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Sutija said the impacts of aggressive pricing strategies from competitors particularly in China underlined the need for Europe to adopt a “proactive and robust strategy in solar manufacturing”.

He said manufacturers must act “swiftly” to leverage the funding and policy opportunities made available under Europe’s Green Deal framework, such as the Net-Zero Industry Act and the State Aid Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework.

“These are not just mechanisms for survival but catalysts for transformation,” Sutija wrote. “The focus must be on creating conditions that not only sustain existing manufacturers but also encourage innovation and the development of advanced solar technologies.”

Such an emphasis on innovation would help create an industry that is both sustainable and equipped to play a leading role in the future, Sutija concluded: “The key to successful integration of technology and regulation lies in understanding that funding and policy must nurture not just a scale up of existing capabilities but emerging technological innovations. This approach will ensure that Europe’s solar manufacturing sector is not only competitive in the present but is also equipped to lead in the future.”

To read the full post, visit our Guest Blog section.

7 October 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

June 30, 2025
Australian module manufacturer Tindo Solar has secured a 30MW solar module supply agreement to power Australia's first "net zero pipeline”.
June 27, 2025
Indian solar manufacturer Premier Energies has commissioned its 1.2GW TOPCon solar cell manufacturing line at Fab City, Hyderabad, Telangana.
June 26, 2025
A group of minority shareholders in Norwegian silicon firm REC Silicon has triggered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the closure of the company’s US polysilicon production site.
June 26, 2025
PV solar cell manufacturer Halocell Energy has launched its first perovskite-based product called the Halocell Ambient Modules.
June 24, 2025
Chinese solar manufacturing giant LONGi has signed an agreement with Indonesia’s Pertamina New & Renewable Energy to build a 1.4GW module assembly plant in West Java, Indonesia.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
June 30, 2025
10am PST / 6pm BST
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico