The Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) held a science and technology policy forum in Berlin, Germany in early December 2024. During one of the dialogue sessions, DSET’s Climate Resilience and Sustainability Team presented a policy report co-authored with the UK think tank “The China Strategic Risks Institute (CSRI)” titled “A Brighter Future: Prospects for Europe-Taiwan cooperation in next-generation solar” The report details how Taiwan-Europe cooperation can promote the development of third-generation solar technology, particularly Perovskite Solar Cells (PSC).
Driven by energy transition trends, global demand for solar modules is expected to continue growing annually. However, under the Chinese government’s strong subsidy policies, the traditional silicon solar cell market has enabled Chinese solar cell and module manufacturers to dump products in European and Asian markets at low prices, creating near-monopolistic market conditions. Furthermore, from a critical minerals perspective, China holds an even more dominant position in polysilicon material exports, meaning the current solar industry is extremely dependent on China from raw materials to end products.
The joint public release of the report “A Brighter Future: Prospects for Europe-Taiwan cooperation in next-generation solar” by DSET and CSRI in Berlin aims to address the risks of China’s dominance in the solar panel market. It proposes ways for Taiwan and Europe to establish an autonomous and resilient solar panel supply chain through research, development, and production of new solar technologies, thereby reducing dependence on China.
The policy report indicates that third-generation solar technology (primarily perovskite solar cells) presents new market expansion opportunities for Taiwanese and European manufacturers. Through interviews with companies that have achieved concrete results in this technology and secondary data analysis, DSET specifically explains Taiwan manufacturers’ strategic advantages compared to Japan, South Korea, and China, and how Taiwan could become an important partner for Europe in the third-generation solar market and technology deployment.
Regarding how the Taiwanese government and manufacturers can face China’s dumping challenges, the report suggests that Taiwan holds relative advantages in developing and producing third-generation solar technology. On one hand, due to the high similarity between perovskite solar panel and display panel manufacturing processes, Taiwan can quickly occupy a key strategic position in the perovskite supply chain by leveraging its mature display industry and traditional silicon solar foundation. On the other hand, from a materials sourcing perspective, Taiwan can develop organometallic halide materials used in perovskite solar cells independently. Currently, Taiwan Perovskite Solar Corp. (TPSC) aims to build a vertically integrated supply chain in Taiwan to address the over-concentration of traditional silicon solar cell supply chains in China.
To expand the market share of third-generation solar technology, Taiwan’s perovskite applications are developing in two directions. One is developing tandem solar cells that combine perovskite and silicon materials’ complementary characteristics to continuously increase photoelectric conversion efficiency. The other direction is developing more diverse and innovative perovskite applications, including Building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and adjustable-transparency perovskite solar panels more suitable for greenhouse agriculture applications compared to traditional opaque silicon solar panels.
Regarding deepening Taiwan-Europe scientific research and technical cooperation in third-generation solar development, the report analyzes current European scientific research developments through interviews and secondary data analysis, and how Taiwan’s perovskite industry alliance can specifically combine display industry technology and existing production capacity to promote and deepen bilateral cooperation. Through this research report’s publication, DSET has established communication channels with UK think tanks, paving the way for more academic cooperation and exchanges in the future.
