Heraeus Photovoltaics, a supplier of metallization solutions to the PV industry, has launched a regional product modification lab (PML) in Tokyo, strengthening the company’s research and development (R&D) presence in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to the company, expanding product modification capabilities in Japan will allow Heraeus to more efficiently manage customer requirements.
Heraeus finds the Japanese market to be very significant, seeing as it represents more than 8% of the worldwide supply of solar cell manufacturing and 18% of global PV installations. As markets in Asia continue to grow and Heraeus customers’ technologies evolve, the company’s network of regional product innovation abilities will prove essential.
“Our regional PML reinforces our strong commitment to Japan as a high-technology market, adding to our strength as a reliable supplier of high-quality products,” says Weiming Zhang, senior vice president of innovation for Heraeus Photovoltaics.
The company hoped that establishing this PML would further encourage customer collaboration and accelerate R&D innovation in key regions.
“By establishing our PMLs close to the markets, we are able to understand changes in our customers’ needs constantly and provide them with superior products in the shortest response time,” Zhang adds.
According to the company, all of its PMLs work closely with the Heraeus Photovoltaics global R&D Center in the U.S. to ensure that customer requirements are reflected in product development.
The new site in Japan marks Heraeus’ third regional PML to open in Asia within the last year. The other two opened in Shanghai and Taiwan in early 2015.
