ASCA – an ARMOR Group company, the organic photovoltaics (OPV) global leader, has purchased the most relevant device- and module-related intellectual property (IP) portfolio regarding printed OPV. At the end of 2021, ASCA took patents on OPV production and technology from the Darmstadt, Germany-based leading science and technology company Merck. With this purchase, ASCA has become the largest portfolio owner with regard to printed OPV worldwide through tripling its number of patents.
ASCA is an innovation-driven company that has already generated many patents on its own, especially related to mass production of customized OPV solutions. The innovative company spirit has also recently been acknowledged by the European Commission which identified specific project-related innovations as “actively exploring value creation opportunities and addressing the needs of existing markets and customers.”
“This takeover is in line with our strategy and reinforces our leading position in the OPV world. As owner of the world´s most important IP portfolio for printed OPV, we are well positioned for the future. As the OPV market becomes more and more mature and relevant it was clear for us that we want to strengthen ASCA’s position also on the IP side. This will allow us to grow the market further without dependency on third parties,” ASCA´s CEO Dr. Ralph Paetzold explains.
Market adoption
Through licensing agreements with other actors of the OPV industry, ASCA wants to reduce the barriers and support the growth of the OPV market. “We are committed to developing the OPV market as a competitive market. It was our clear goal that the acquisition of the IP portfolio should not constrain OPV market access for other players in this field. The IP portfolio will be open for licensing in order to tear down market adoption barriers,” Dr. Sebastian Meier, Vice President of Corporate Development and Partner Management at ASCA, says.
The ASCA film offers an unlimited potential for energy-harvesting on all kind of surfaces thanks to an innovative manufacturing process and highly customizable solar solutions. This has been demonstrated, for example, on the paneled roof of the Netherlands pavilion during the Expo 2020 in Dubai, on the first glass balustrades with integrated solar films at condominiums in Stuttgart (Germany) and with a solar tree in Löchgau (Germany) producing electricity for e-bike charging stations, all projects being finalized in 2021.
