VIPERLAB: EU project aims to boost perovskite solar industry in Europe

</p> <p>VIPERLAB is funded under the European Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (Grant No 101006715).</p> <p>

VIPERLAB is funded under the European Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (Grant No 101006715).

HZB runs state-of-the-art laboratories (here HySPRINT) to advance research on perovskite solar cells.

HZB runs state-of-the-art laboratories (here HySPRINT) to advance research on perovskite solar cells. © P. Dera / HZB

Also the EMIL lab at HZB will host VIPERLAB projects.

Also the EMIL lab at HZB will host VIPERLAB projects. © S. Grunze/HZB

The HZB is coordinating a major European collaborative project to open up new opportunities for the European solar industry. The VIPERLAB project involves 15 renowned research institutions from Europe, as well as Switzerland and Great Britain. It will be funded within the framework of the EU's Horizon 2020 programme for the next three and a half years with a total of 5.5 million euros, from which the HZB will receive just under 840,000 euros. 

Perovskite semiconductors enable extremely cheap and powerful solar cells. Many research results on this class of materials are obtained in European laboratories. For example, working groups at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) have already achieved several world records with perovskite solar cells. Now the HZB is coordinating a major European collaborative project to open up new opportunities for the European solar industry.

VIPERLAB stands for „Fully connected virtual and physical perovskite photovoltaics Lab“. With VIPERLAB, the participating research institutions want to accelerate the development of perovskite PV technology in Europe and promote technology transfer to industry. To this end, they want to establish a close dialogue with the emerging perovskite industry in Europe, both with the help of new initiatives and with more established players such as the European solar industry association Solar Power Europe.

The participating institutions are among the best in European perovskite research. Within VIPERLAB, they will facilitate access to their laboratories and infrastructures so that research teams from public institutions or industry can work with the optimal equipment and methods. A database on materials and building elements will also be established, incorporating information on long-term performance and environmental and economic impacts. This database will enable evidence-based commercial and policy decisions.

Through close collaboration and tailor-made research services, VIPERLAB aims to give European industry a knowledge edge along the entire value chain.

VIPERLAB is funded under the European Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (No 101006715).

arö

  • Copy link

You might also be interested in

  • Catalysis research at HZB gets new facility
    News
    06.03.2026
    Catalysis research at HZB gets new facility
    As part of the CatLab project, HZB has acquired a unique facility for measuring the catalytic performance of thin-film catalysts. Built by ILS in Adlershof, it has now been delivered. The facility consists of a total of eight chemical reactors in which catalytic systems can be tested. At over €2.5 million, this is the largest single investment in the CatLab project.
  • Protein crystallography at BESSY II: faster, better and more and more automatic
    Interview
    04.03.2026
    Protein crystallography at BESSY II: faster, better and more and more automatic
    Many diseases are linked to malfunctions of proteins in the organism. The three-dimensional architecture of these molecules is often highly complex, but it can provide valuable insights into biological processes and the development of drugs. X-ray diffraction at the MX beamlines of BESSY II can be used to decipher the 3D structure of proteins. To date, more than 5000 structures have been solved at the three MX beamlines. Here, we present a review and an outlook with  Manfred Weiss, head of the research group for macromolecular crystallography. 
  • Humboldt-Fellow at HZB-Institute for Solar Fuels: Alexander R. Uhl
    News
    02.03.2026
    Humboldt-Fellow at HZB-Institute for Solar Fuels: Alexander R. Uhl
    Alexander R. Uhl, UBC Okanagan School of Engineering in Kelowna, Canada, aims to develop with Roel van de Krol from the HZB Institute for Solar Fuels an efficient and inexpensive photoelectrolyser for producing hydrogen using sunlight. His stay is being funded by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation.