Eidgenossische Materialprüfungs und Forschungsanstalt (Empa) - the Laboratory of Thin Films and Photovoltaics is working on thin film solar cells and materials.

The photovoltaic activities are R&D on topics of industrial relevance, high-efficiency thin film solar cells based on CIGS, CZTS and perovskites on rigid and flexible substrates. Important contributions of the Empa group include the 22.2% world record efficiency of flexible CIGS solar cells on polymer film with a process suitable for roll-to-roll manufacturing and the 2022 breakthrough bifacial CIGS device. It also develops perovskite PV devices for tandem applications, notably in combination with CIGS. Monolithically interconnected mini-modules have been developed with efficiencies close to 17% together with ETH spin-off company Flisom AG.

In the field of IP management, Empa has its own Technology Transfer Office that is part of the Pan-European Association for Technology Transfer Professionals (ASTP-Proton). The main infrastructures available to carry out the project research activities include i) CIGS cells fabrication equipment and ii) Equipment for module making.