MIDSUMMER AB

Their core work

Midsummer is a Swedish SME specializing in the manufacture of lightweight, flexible thin-film solar cells based on CIGS (Copper Indium Gallium Selenide) technology. Their H2020 involvement centers on advancing photovoltaic manufacturing — from developing ultra-thin CIGS architectures (ARCIGS-M) to substituting critical raw materials in solar cells (STARCELL) and exploring wide band gap kesterite absorbers (SWInG). They also contribute manufacturing expertise to scalable nanomaterial production for printed electronics (INSPIRED), bridging advanced materials science with industrial-scale production processes.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Midsummer's H2020 participation spans 2015–2017 start dates, a relatively concentrated window. Early projects (INSPIRED, SWInG) combined exploratory materials work — nanomaterials for printing and wide band gap kesterite absorbers — with their solar manufacturing base. Later projects (ARCIGS-M, STARCELL) show a sharper focus on optimizing CIGS solar cell architectures and reducing dependence on scarce materials, reflecting a maturation from broad materials exploration toward production-ready photovoltaic solutions.

Midsummer is moving toward resource-efficient, manufacturing-optimized thin-film solar cells — expect continued interest in earth-abundant materials and high-throughput production methods.

How they like to work

Midsummer operates exclusively as a participant, never coordinating, which positions them as an industry partner bringing manufacturing know-how to research-led consortia. With 41 unique partners across 15 countries from just 4 projects, they engage in large, diverse consortia rather than tight bilateral arrangements. This suggests they are valued for their specific industrial capability — scaling lab concepts to production — rather than driving the research agenda themselves.

Midsummer has built a broad European network of 41 partners across 15 countries through 4 projects, indicating participation in sizeable international consortia. As a Swedish SME, their reach extends well beyond Scandinavia into the major EU photovoltaic research hubs.

What sets them apart

Midsummer brings something rare to research consortia: they are an actual manufacturer of thin-film solar cells, not a lab or institute. This means they can validate research outcomes against real production constraints — throughput, cost, yield — which is critical for projects aiming beyond TRL 4-5. For consortium builders in photovoltaics or advanced materials, they offer a direct path from research results to industrial reality.

Highlights from their portfolio

• STARCELL
  Largest EC contribution (EUR 459,899) and strategically important topic — replacing critical raw materials in photovoltaics aligns with EU supply chain priorities.
• ARCIGS-M
  Directly targets manufacturability of ultra-thin CIGS cells, closest to Midsummer's core commercial product line.
• INSPIRED
  Only non-solar project, showing Midsummer's breadth into nanomaterial production for printed electronics beyond photovoltaics.