Dyesol and CSIRO working together to advance the scale-up of ssDSC
Access to both skills and equipment to provide mutual benefits to Dyesol and CSIRO.csiro
In May 2014, Dyesol partnered with the CSIRO under the “Researcher in Business” scheme to advance scale-up work for Dyesol’s solid-state DSC perovskite solar cells. This leveraged funding arrangement gives Dyesol economical access to relevant skills and facilities within CSIRO for the duration of the 3 month engagement.
Dyesol’s CTO, Dr. Damion Milliken, commented, “The RiB framework is an excellent example of the Australian Government’s Enterprise Connect Services supporting innovation within Australia by linking an industry need with a research service provider capable of quickly and efficiently tackling the real-world problem on the ground.”
The project provides skilled and experienced CSIRO staff to work on agreed areas, either at CSIRO or at Dyesol’s premises. Of particular interest to Dyesol is the wealth of experience built up by the Victorian Organic Solar Cell Consortium (VICOSC), a research partnership led by the University of Melbourne that includes researchers from both CSIRO and Monash University. Over the past 7 years, the VICOSC partners have developed world-leading expertise for printing DSC and organic PV (OPV). The know-how surrounding key technical areas such as materials formulation, deposition technologies and system testing can be directly applied to Dyesol’s solid-state DSC perovskite technology and help accelerate their path to market.
VICOSC Chairman and the Director of CSIRO’s Industrial Innovation Research Program, Dr Gerry Wilson, sees the Researcher in Business project as “the first step in what we hope is the translation of the VICOSC technologies to manufacturing efforts here in Australia”.
In addition, the agreement between Dyesol and CSIRO provides access to relevant CSIRO facilities for Dyesol staff throughout the duration of the program, which allows evaluation of new deposition process, quality control and other techniques not yet available within Dyesol without the associated capital expenditure.
“Access to both expertise and equipment of this nature gives Dyesol an excellent opportunity to ‘try before you buy’, and really make the wisest decisions in relation to future expenditure,” commented Dr. Damion Milliken.
Staff exchanges and practical experimental work on large-scale deposition processes and characterisation techniques occurred rapidly within the first month of the RiB project, with Dyesol’s new staff member Celeste Choo (featured last newsletter), among the staff who have visited CSIRO.
Both Dyesol and CSIRO see this arrangement as highly beneficial, allowing CSIRO to implement its Mission to ‘deliver great science and innovative solutions for industry, society and the environment’ in an area strongly aligned with its Vision to ‘use our science to make a profound and positive impact for the future of Australia and humanity’.
Dyesol’s novel and game-changing 3rd-generation solid-state DSC perovskite solar cell technology is both a real and tangible answer to global energy and environmental hot topics, as well as being primed for commercial success both within Australia and internationally. The two organisations and the broader VICOSC, look forward positively to any future involvement and relationship.
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