The objective of the SOPHIA project has been  to strenghten and optimise research capabilities, mainly by coordinating efforts on important but precompetitive issues. Large research infrastructures working together will avoid the useless replication of a large number of small efforts. The SOPHIA project aims at pulling together the main European photovoltaic research infrastructures in order to provide the scientific community with common referential to conduct efficient and coordinated research work in the field of PV technologies.