3SUN and University of Catania - A technical-scientific alliance to promote innovation in the PV sector
Rector Francesco Priolo’s visit to 3SUN’s Gigafactory consolidates the partnership with Unict, to develop cutting-edge technologies and foster the territory’s sustainable growth
Driven by the ambition of promoting local development and turning Sicily into an outstanding technological hub, on 10 February, our Gigafactory had the honour of hosting Francesco Priolo, Rector of the University of Catania, and Antonio Terrasi, Deputy Rector for Technology Transfer and Relations with Enterprises. This productive encounter further strengthen the relationship between academia and industry, opening up new collaboration perspectives.
During the factory tour - the first Gigafactory in Europe - Stefano Lorenzi, 3SUN CEO, had the chance to deepen and comment on the most advanced photovoltaic production technologies with our guests.
The University delegation toured the core of our factory. Once completed, the plant’s full production capacity will reach 3 GW/year, with an average annual production of five million PV modules, based on the innovative heterojunction (HJT) mono-crystalline bifacial cells.
This technology is more efficient than traditional solutions, with a higher bifaciality coefficient and improved thermal stability.
A tour focused on innovation and research
During the tour, 3SUN R&D experts, Cosimo Gerardi (CTO) and Marina Foti, explained the different module production stages to our University guests - from sophisticated cell processing techniques to the final assembly.
And of course, the tour couldn’t be complete without a stop at our R&D laboratories, beating heart of 3SUN’s innovation.
The meeting provided the perfect opportunity to discuss many cooperation activities and possibilities with the University. Some of the mutual fields of interest include logistics, big data management, mechatronics and automation, and development of new materials - on which the Sicilian University boasts a long experience.
A synergy for local development
The visit confirmed how we can work together toward significantly improving Sicily’s economic and scientific growth, by attracting back talents and developing state-of-the-art competences at international level. For those reasons, here at 3SUN, we are proud to consolidate this synergy with the academic world, and to work together to build an outstanding technological hub.