Slovakia wants to become a gateway for the expansion of new photovoltaic panel technology in Europe. Denisa Saková, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic and the Minister of Economy of the SR signed the Memorandum of Understanding in Tokyo, Japan, with Sekisui Chemical, which develops photovoltaic flexible panels.
"We are not only interested in working together on the expansion of this technology in Slovakia, but at the same time we want to explore the possibilities of locating the production of such panels in our country," said Mrs. Saková.
The Memorandum creates the prerequisites for closer cooperation between the Slovak Government and Sekisui Chemical, especially when finding different conditions for entering the Slovak market. Both parties undertake to cooperate intensively in the development of R&D in this area in Slovakia. They also expressed their willingness to start negotiations on the potential location of the production of this technology in Slovakia. According to available data, the production of solar panels of this type does not require any precious raw materials, and its expansion could contribute to the decarbonization of several European countries in the future.
Moreover, the Government of the Slovak Republic and Nippon Steel Corporation started a discussion about U.S. Steel Kosice - an important employer in the east of Slovakia and an important element for maintaining employment in the region. In Tokyo, Japan, there was a discussion about the future of this steel plant and the view of Nippon Steel Corporation on their plans in Slovakia. The Nippon Steel Corporation's view on the decarbonization of steel production was discussed as Slovakia has allocated money for this purpose from the Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Slovak Republic and other funds.
Source: SARIO
The EU-Japan Centre currently produces 5 newsletters :
Joint venture established in 1987 by the European Commission (DG GROW) and the Japanese Government (METI) for promoting all forms of industrial, trade and investment cooperation between the EU and Japan.
The EU-Japan Centre’s activities are subject to the allocation of a Grant Agreement by the European Commission for 2024-2026