Photo Credit: www.linkedin.com/in/radovan-kopecek
IB Solar has signed a memorandum of understanding with German partners centrotherm international AG, RENA Technologies GmbH and ISC Konstanz to establish a Solar Centre of Excellence in the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) region of Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
The agreement was signed at the Bharat RE Summit organised by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, according to reports published on 4 November 2026.
Research, manufacturing and skills
The proposed centre will focus on research and development, technology development and workforce training. Its planned activities include collaborative research, knowledge exchange and work to improve manufacturing processes and solar product efficiency.
According to IB Solar’s announcement, as cited in the reports, the initiative is intended to connect research with industrial applications and strengthen domestic solar manufacturing capabilities.
The company acknowledged the National Solar Energy Federation of India (NSEFI), the German Solar Association (BSW) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH for facilitating the collaboration.
German equipment and research expertise
The partners bring different capabilities to the proposed centre. centrotherm supplies production equipment and process technology for solar cell manufacturing, while RENA supplies photovoltaic manufacturing equipment. ISC Konstanz—the International Solar Energy Research Center Konstanz—is a nonprofit research institute working on crystalline silicon solar cells, modules and energy systems.
In a public post about the summit, Dr. Radovan Kopecek of ISC Konstanz referred to both the Centre of Excellence MoU and a signing ceremony for a 2.2 GW TOPCon solar cell production line at IB Solar using German technology. TOPCon, or tunnel oxide passivated contact, is a technology used in high-efficiency solar cell manufacturing.
Dr. Kopecek also indicated that ISFH, Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, alongside additional equipment suppliers and Indian manufacturers, were expected to join the wider initiative. Their anticipated involvement is separate from the partners named in the initial MoU.
German participation at the summit
Germany’s participation at the Bharat Renewable Energy Summit included a business delegation and scientific institutions.
Speaking on the sidelines of the summit on 2 November, Gottfried von Gemmingen, Head of Division for Economic Cooperation and Development at the German Embassy in India, said Germany had brought a business delegation to explore renewable energy opportunities. He also highlighted the participation of scientific institutions and the importance of jointly developing technologies.
Mr. von Gemmingen described renewable energy as an established component of the Indo-German Energy Forum and Germany as a longstanding partner in India’s energy transition.
Ambassador highlights renewable energy and industrial cooperation
The announcement comes as India and Germany mark 20 years of the Indo-German Energy Forum (IGEF). At its anniversary gathering at the German Embassy in New Delhi on 3 November 2026, German Ambassador to India Dr. Jasper Wieck highlighted the forum’s contribution to integrating renewable energy into India’s power system and advancing energy efficiency, battery storage and green hydrogen.
“Our ambition is to work with our Indian partners not only to expand renewable energy, but also to build the industries and value chains of the future,” Ambassador Dr. Wieck said, according to the anniversary press release.
His remarks provide a broader context for cooperation in solar research and manufacturing, including the proposed Greater Noida centre. Established in 2006, IGEF provides a platform for energy dialogue between the two governments, with renewable energy among its five areas of work.
Links between research and production
The collaboration builds on existing relationships between German solar equipment suppliers, research institutes and Indian manufacturers. In a separate Indian project, RENA announced an order for 6 GW of TOPCon production equipment from EMMVEE Energy, with centrotherm and ISC Konstanz participating as technology partners.
The proposed Greater Noida centre would add research and workforce development to these equipment supply relationships. Its stated purpose is to connect technology development with manufacturing in India; the centre remains a proposed facility under the announced MoU.
