The EU has launched new partnerships with the private sector to increase industrial competitiveness and bring down its dependence on imports
One of these includes a partnership for solar PV technology under which a €480 million investment is planned till 2030
The commission and private partners will each also invest up to €250 million in advanced materials and €30 million in textiles
The European Commission has announced 3 new partnerships under the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan 2025-2027 to help establish an inclusive and competitive Europe. One of these is the European Partnership for Innovation in Photovoltaics.
The commission and private partners will invest up to €240 million ($260 million) each from 2025 to 2030 under this PV partnership.
According to the commission, the PV partnership aims to scale up European solar PV manufacturing capacity and develop a more resilient value chain in the European Union (EU). Increased collaboration across the entire PV value chain will help lower its dependence on fossil fuels, it adds.
It is aligned with the goals outlined in the European Green Deal, REPowerEU and the 2023 Renewable Energy Directive. The EU has set itself a goal to establish at least 30 GW of solar manufacturing at each stage of the value chain by 2030 and achieve a minimum renewable energy share of 42.5% and a maximum of 45% as part of its total electricity mix.
For the European Partnership for Innovative Advanced Materials for the EU, the commission and private partners will invest up to €250 million ($271 million) each by 2030 to increase the industrial competitiveness for advanced materials and associated technologies fit for the circular economy.
Textiles of the Future is the other industrial partnership announced by the commission wherein it will invest up to €30 million ($32.5 million) alongside a similar contribution by private partners from 2025 to 2030.
The commission explains that such co-programmed European Partnerships bring together the commission as well as private partners ‘often represented by industry associations’ to facilitate joint commitments.
“By fostering public-private collaboration in emerging and transformative sectors through these new partnerships, we are driving progress in key areas such as advanced materials, solar energy, and textiles,” said Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen.
“Our pathway to tech sovereignty is clear: we need to transform Europe into a global digital and innovation powerhouse while reducing our reliance on imported technologies.”
Recently, the commission launched a public consultation to formulate a state aid framework for the Clean Industrial Deal, which backs solar panel manufacturing as well (see European Commission Consultation On Clean Industrial Deal Framework).
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