The EUPI‑PV Conference 2026, held on 27 May in Brussels, brought together a dynamic community of stakeholders from research, industry, and policy to discuss the future of photovoltaic innovation in Europe. Notably, EERA Joint Programme Photovoltaic Solar Energy acted as Gold Sponsor, demonstrating its strong commitment to advancing Europe’s PV ecosystem and collaborative innovation efforts.

Supported by ETIP PV, the conference provided a timely platform to explore how solar PV can drive a secure, competitive, and resilient European energy system. Discussions highlighted that PV is now a central pillar of the global energy transition, with growing focus on grid integration, system flexibility, and industrial scale-up.

Key themes included the need to strengthen European manufacturing capacity and supply chains, as well as to bridge the gap between strong R&D performance and large-scale market deployment. Innovation remains robust across Europe—in areas such as advanced inverters, grid-forming technologies, and BIPV—but scaling these solutions continues to be a critical challenge.

A recurring message throughout the conference was the importance of clear and stable policy frameworks, as technological progress continues to outpace regulation. Participants also stressed that the energy transition relies not only on technology, but on collaboration, community engagement, and value creation across the full PV value chain.

The event also showcased the first projects funded under EUPI‑PV (SUNVIBE, In.SPIRE, EuroCZ Factor, aLLEGRO), reflecting an integrated approach from research to market uptake.

Overall, the conference reaffirmed the importance of strong European partnerships in aligning innovation, policy, and industry to accelerate the deployment of solar PV and strengthen Europe’s global leadership in the sector.