PV Impact plans to organize 14 half-day highly interactive matchmaking events that will serve primarily to bring companies into contact with other companies to make new connections and find partners with whom to work on future projects under EU and/or national funding schemes. Each event will focus on one of the five industry-focused activities of the Implementation Plan:

1. PV for BIPV and similar applications
2. Technologies for silicon solar cells and modules with higher quality
3. New technologies & materials
4. Operation and diagnosis of photovoltaic plant
5. Manufacturing technologies (for cSi and thin film)

Format

Each session will be organised around a speed-dating format. Speed-dating is a format whereby participants hold a series of 10-minute conversations with each other, just long enough for each to communicate essential information about their plans and ambitions and identify whether the person opposite them has an initiative they would like to be part of.

The PV Impact consortium will score the speed-dates and will offer a prize to the best three initiatives. The prize is the consortium’s time to mentor the company as it works on its initiative, particularly if help is needed to prepare a funding application.

Programme

• Each half-day event will follow this rough schedule
• Welcome, introduction and objective of the session (15’)
• Funding mechanisms review (10’ each, max 40’)
• Speed-dating sessions (120’ (include 2x10’ break) on the assumption of 8-minute conversations)
• Facilitated networking (30’)
• Awards based on the scores (20’)

Tentative Schedule

The schedule of the matchmaking events is prepared considering the timing of major solar industry events over the three-year duration of the project and the most relevant funding mechanisms at EU and national level.

This is an indicative schedule and may still be adjusted according to circumstances.