A lot of research has been done regarding the different processing steps and localized issues related to the solar cell production chain. However, lesser efforts have been invested in research focusing on the interactions among all these parameters along the complete production line and the resulting solar cell efficiency and other performance parameters.

The focus of the Five-Party R&D Collaboration is to utilize the complimentary expertise and resources of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Shanghai Jiaotong University (SJTU), SINTEF, Solarfun Power Holdings and Prediktor to enable and undertake research into all factors along the solar cells production line contributing to the resulting quality parameters. As part of the research Statistical correlations and potentially physical and metallurgical explanations for observed correlations and performance will be investigated.

Since the Shanghai World Expo event organized by the Norwegian Research Council in May 2010 the five parties have been working to realise a closer R&D collaboration. The first Five-Party R&D workshop in October 2010 is financed by the five parties themselves, hosted by SJTU and Solarfun Power and coordinated and organized with the help of Prediktor's subsidiary in China.

During the first Five-Party R&D workshop the parties' representatives will present on topics within each party's main area of expertise as well as planned future focus areas. Discussions will be held to identify new areas for possible collaboration and to define more specific project targets, actions and timelines.

The activities proposed for financing are two follow up workshops, one in Trondheim in May 2011 and a second one in Shanghai in October 2011. NTNU would also like to strengthen the cooperation with SJTU by inviting a group of selected SJTU master degree students to attend the NTNU summer school on SoG-Si in Trondheim.