Programm Photovoltaik Ausgabe 2008 ... - Bundesamt für Energie BFE

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coordination level between RTD programmes. PV ERA NET contributes to networking on the international
level both between the states and different international / European initiatives.
Different transnational activities, e.g. direct information exchange between programmers, common
expertise and evaluators’ pool, specific technical R&D topics, bring about results and tools that are
also of interest in other international initiatives on-going (for instance, Mirror Group of the European
PV Technology Platform). In terms of finding topics of common interest, the list of research areas developed
by PV TRAC (the Photovoltaic Technology Research Advisory Council) was used, which
again is a basic element of and for the Strategic Research Agenda.
In the context of implementing the Strategic Research Agenda and the different high level initiatives
like the Strategic Energy Technology (SET) plan, a strong network of national and regional programmes
with common ground and experience out of joint activities is crucial for the success of these
European initiatives and for the realisation of the European Research Area.
Topical Areas: Complementarities, Gaps and Opportunities
The results of the analysis on subjects and (around 100) sub-topics was presented in synoptic tables.
The different sets of subjects and topics with the qualified marks provided by the partners show a wide
range of potential complementarities, gaps and opportunities. They can be subdivided into the following
three basic categories potentially interesting for joint transnational activities:
1. Thematic areas that are of crosscutting nature and hence by definition of transnational relevance.
They most likely relate to system oriented research (examples: balance of systems, grid-connected
systems, stand alone systems, grid integration and storage, supportive research). For this
category, the aspect of complementarities between national approaches prevails; tackling these
issues on a transnational level can have direct benefits for standardisation and cost reduction.
2. Thematic areas which are either sub-critical on the national level and/or scattered across Europe.
They mostly relate to new concepts and, more generally speaking, interdisciplinary subjects (examples:
polymer and organic solar cells, basic R&D). In this category, the existing gaps between
individually (on a national level) developed approaches can be addressed..
3. Finally, a third category can be identified for very specific thematic subjects in mostly well established
areas. By their nature, such subjects are more of ad-hoc nature and can best be addressed
individually on a case-by-case basis (examples: specific needs for analytical methods, access to
special technologies, vertical complementarities along the value chain). In this category, complementarities
can be addressed specifically, e.g. through clustering of activities and projects.
Common interest can be found for various reasons. For instance, competences in different states can
be complementary and mutually strengthen competences in these countries. Or a topic can reach
critical mass.
The overall picture indicates an important potential for joint transnational activities thanks to i) the expected
complementarities in order to mutually improve competences, or ii) to opening new opportunities
in fields where individual programmes could pool (and maybe increase) their resources in order to
reach critical mass. This actually shows that there is considerable potential to strengthen both individual
research programmes and PV research in Europe as a whole. This could finally help overcome the
two main weaknesses in the European RTD landscape, i.e. fragmentation of national R&D programmes
and (too slow) technology transfer from research to application. Cooperation offers here use
of untapped synergies and effectively addressing key issues in research and technology development.
Based on this analysis, the subject of Polymer and Molecular Solar Photovoltaic Cells and Modules
was selected for a pilot Joint Call that was prepared and launched in 2007.
Preparation and Launching of a Joint Call
Launching a Joint Call is a crucial element in the project and was one of the key activities in 2007.
Major challenges arise due to the fact that different programmes of various nature, e.g. with their
evaluation criteria and funding rules, come together. Even basic elements can pose certain difficulty.
For instance, a common timeline has to be found between different programmes with call dates and
systems varying from one programme to another. In a Joint Call Laboratory, the consortium elaborated
on the framework for the call. A full set of guidelines and forms was developed to be implemented
by all programmes involved.
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