Valais at the forefront of energy research

Abengoa, one of the leading solar energy companies, has just joined the Energypolis site in Sion. This partnership will finance cutting-edge research in photovoltaic technologies. Abengoa, an international company employing 30,000 people in 80 countries, will establish a research unit at the EPFL Valais Wallis – a permanent EPFL outpost in the Canton of Valais. The […]

Abengoa, one of the leading solar energy companies, has just joined the Energypolis site in Sion. This partnership will finance cutting-edge research in photovoltaic technologies.

Abengoa, an international company employing 30,000 people in 80 countries, will establish a research unit at the EPFL Valais Wallis – a permanent EPFL outpost in the Canton of Valais. The company will fund four researchers over five years for a total amount of 2 million francs, as well as licenses for some 500,000 francs. Two researchers will be working at Energypolis, while two more will be based in Sevilla, where Abengoa owns a facility entirely focused on solar technologies.

“The fact that such an important company chose Sion is very meaningful. It means that the expertise we have here is able to attract the leaders in the field”, said Marc-André Berclaz, operational director of the EPFL Valais Wallis outpost. And Manuel Doblaré Castellano, director of Abengoa Research, highlighted: “We go wherever the best academic and research skills are”.

Researchers in Sion will work on perovskite, a material which could be applied directly in thin layers on solar panels and is significantly cheaper than silicon. The Canton of Valais is increasingly positioning itself as a leader in energy research.