most prominent perovskite research institutes
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Writer AndyKim
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Date 25-02-03 12:59
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Below is an **informal, approximate** overview of some of the **most prominent perovskite research institutes, laboratories, and university groups** around the world. Unlike conventional silicon PV, perovskite solar cell (PSC) R&D is still relatively young and rapidly evolving, so there is **no universal or official ranking**. Criteria such as publication impact, patent activity, industry partnerships, and record-setting device efficiencies can vary, leading to different assessments. The following list highlights institutions frequently recognized for **major contributions** to perovskite science and technology. The numbering is **for reference only** and does **not** represent a strict hierarchy.
---
## 1. University of Oxford (UK)
- **Key Researchers/Groups**:
- Professor Henry Snaith’s group, credited with pioneering modern perovskite solar cells for photovoltaics.
- **Notable Spin-off**: **Oxford PV**, a leader in commercializing perovskite-on-silicon tandem cells.
- **Achievements**:
- Early demonstration of highly efficient perovskite-based cells.
- Ongoing improvements in cell architecture and stability, regularly setting or approaching world-record efficiencies.
## 2. National Renewable Energy Laboratory – NREL (USA)
- **Location**: Golden, Colorado, USA
- **Scope of Research**:
- Maintains the renowned **Best Research-Cell Efficiency** chart, widely cited in the PV field.
- Investigates perovskite material properties, interfaces, and tandem device configurations.
- **Achievements**:
- Numerous high-profile publications and patents related to perovskite bandgap engineering, stability, and scaling methods.
- Collaborative projects with universities and industry to accelerate commercialization.
## 3. EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) – Switzerland
- **Notable Labs**:
- **Graetzel Lab**, famous for dye-sensitized solar cells, now deeply involved in perovskites.
- **Achievements**:
- Developed novel perovskite formulations and techniques to improve film crystallinity.
- Advanced understanding of charge transport and recombination, informing device design.
## 4. University of New South Wales – UNSW (Australia)
- **Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP)**
- **Achievements**:
- Historically led silicon PV innovation (e.g., PERC cells) and has now extended expertise to perovskites.
- Research on perovskite-silicon tandem technologies, focusing on both lab-scale demonstrations and industry partnerships.
## 5. Sungkyunkwan University – SKKU (South Korea)
- **Key Researcher**: Professor Nam-Gyu Park
- **Achievements**:
- One of the first groups to demonstrate solid-state perovskite solar cells with impressive efficiencies.
- Continues to push forward device optimization, stability solutions, and fundamental material studies.
## 6. KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) – Solar Center (Saudi Arabia)
- **Location**: Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- **Achievements**:
- Focus on hot-climate operation and stability of perovskite devices.
- Record-setting efficiency improvements and specialized testing for desert conditions.
## 7. Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) – Germany
- **Notable Program**: Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Research
- **Achievements**:
- Repeatedly set (or co-set) records for tandem cell efficiencies.
- Advanced characterization methods (including synchrotron-based techniques) to study perovskite layer formation.
## 8. Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) – Germany
- **Location**: Freiburg, Germany
- **Scope of Research**:
- One of the world’s largest solar research institutes, historically strong in silicon PV, now also prominent in perovskite-silicon tandems.
- **Achievements**:
- Development of scalable device architectures, advanced encapsulation technologies, and rigorous reliability testing.
## 9. Oxford PV (Spin-off from Oxford University) – UK/Germany
- **Commercial Entity** but heavily research-focused
- **Achievements**:
- Leading the commercial race for perovskite-silicon tandem modules, with pilot lines in Germany.
- Frequent announcements of record or near-record efficiencies for tandem devices under real manufacturing conditions.
## 10. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) – USA
- **Interdisciplinary Groups** across Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering
- **Achievements**:
- Combines fundamental semiconductor physics research with energy policy analysis to inform real-world deployment.
- Investigations in perovskite device stability, novel compositions, and integration with flexible/organic substrates.
## 11. KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) – South Korea
- **Achievements**:
- Multiple groups focusing on perovskite device design, nano-patterning for improved light absorption, and passivation strategies.
- Collaborations with Korean solar industry on pilot-scale cell fabrication.
## 12. Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) – South Korea
- **Key Researchers**: Professor Sang-Il Seok, among others
- **Achievements**:
- Developed high-efficiency perovskite cells through advanced solution-processing.
- Emphasis on chemical engineering aspects of scalable perovskite manufacturing.
## 13. AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology) – Japan
- **Location**: Multiple campuses, major one in Tsukuba
- **Achievements**:
- Work on perovskite thin films, device stability, and synergy with Japan’s robust electronics sector.
- Collaboration with major Japanese tech companies (e.g., Panasonic, Sharp).
## 14. Stanford University – GCEP/Precourt Institute for Energy (USA)
- **Scope**:
- Interdisciplinary approach spanning materials, photonics, and device engineering.
- Studies the fundamentals of perovskite crystallization and device physics.
## 15. IMEC (Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre) – Belgium
- **Focus**: Semiconductor research spanning microelectronics to solar
- **Achievements**:
- Pioneered advanced tandem cell prototypes, employing both perovskite and silicon.
- Works closely with European industry to scale up high-efficiency concepts for commercial adoption.
## 16. Imperial College London – Energy Futures Lab (UK)
- **Achievements**:
- Combines materials discovery with system-level analysis of solar adoption.
- Notable for collaborative perovskite research, including stability enhancements and device interface engineering.
## 17. Loughborough University – CREST (Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology) – UK
- **Achievements**:
- Long history in PV systems research, increasingly active in perovskites.
- Operates pilot-scale lines and advanced reliability test facilities.
## 18. Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) – Switzerland
- **Achievements**:
- Known for thin-film expertise (especially flexible CIGS) and now robust perovskite R&D.
- Investigates perovskite module packaging, stability, and roll-to-roll processing.
## 19. University of Toronto – Sargent Group (Canada)
- **Achievements**:
- Specializes in quantum dot and perovskite photovoltaics, with major advances in device passivation.
- Pioneered methods for high-performance colloidal quantum dot-perovskite hybrids.
## 20. Tsinghua University – Institute of New Energy (China)
- **Achievements**:
- Broad research in advanced PV materials, including perovskites.
- Collaborates closely with Chinese solar manufacturing giants for near-term commercialization.
## 21. Shanghai Jiao Tong University – PV Research (China)
- **Achievements**:
- R&D on perovskite film formation, device interfaces, and potential large-scale production.
- Publications on low-cost, solution-based approaches to perovskite manufacturing.
## 22. University of California, Berkeley – Renewable & Appropriate Energy Laboratory (USA)
- **Achievements**:
- Combines fundamental materials research with policy/economic modeling.
- Explores the feasibility of perovskite-based grid-scale deployment and novel device designs.
## 23. Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden)
- **Achievements**:
- Known for advanced nanophotonics and materials science.
- Investigates perovskite solar cells in tandem with plasmonic enhancements and photonic crystal structures.
## 24. Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology – GIST (South Korea)
- **Achievements**:
- Research on flexible and highly durable perovskite modules in humid, high-temperature conditions.
- Focus on interface engineering and advanced doping strategies.
## 25. University of Freiburg – Linked with Fraunhofer ISE (Germany)
- **Achievements**:
- Academic–industry synergy focusing on device modeling, passivation layers, and reliability testing.
- Comprehensive approach to perovskite solar module design and prototyping.
*(Note: Beyond the top 25, there are numerous other outstanding institutes worldwide. The following shorter listings simply illustrate that perovskite research is truly global.)*
## 26. University of Cambridge (UK) – Cavendish Laboratory
## 27. University of Manchester (UK) – Graphene/perovskite synergy
## 28. Aalto University (Finland) – Solution-processed perovskites
## 29. Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) – Perovskite–silicon tandem modeling
## 30. UC Santa Barbara (USA) – Materials Department, III–V/perovskite hybrids
## 31. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (USA) – Advanced spectroscopy & theory
## 32. NIMS (Japan) – National Institute for Materials Science, fundamental perovskite chemistry
## 33. Tokoyo Institute of Technology (Japan) – Novel multi-junction perovskite research
## 34. CNRS / Université de Paris-Saclay (France) – Collaborative EU perovskite projects
## 35. KRICT (Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology) – Material synthesis & encapsulation
## 36. KIER (Korea Institute of Energy Research) – Scale-up and pilot-line demonstration
## 37. University of Bristol (UK) – Device physics & photonics for perovskites
## 38. Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Germany) – Hybrid organic–inorganic materials
## 39. IMEM (Italy) – National research on advanced electronic materials including perovskites
## 40. University of Porto (Portugal) – Emerging perovskite-based tandem cells
## 41. King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (Thailand) – Regional leader in perovskite R&D
## 42. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi (India) – Growing focus on low-cost PSC devices
## 43. Nankai University (China) – Materials innovation & structural engineering for PSCs
## 44. University of Bayreuth (Germany) – Interdisciplinary approach, perovskite stability
## 45. University of Waterloo (Canada) – Device engineering & reliability studies
## 46. École Polytechnique (France) – Fundamental photophysics & materials design
## 47. KU Leuven (Belgium) – Collaborations with IMEC for tandem PV
## 48. University of Sheffield (UK) – Roll-to-roll printing & BIPV integration
## 49. University of Tokyo (Japan) – Research Center for Advanced Science & Technology
## 50. Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N, Singapore) – Tropical climate PSC testing & floating solar
---
## Common Themes & Achievements
1. **Efficiency Milestones**
- Numerous labs claim incremental or major **efficiency records** in single-junction and tandem perovskite solar cells.
2. **Focus on Stability**
- Moisture, heat, and UV sensitivity remain central research challenges.
- Laboratories worldwide are investing in **encapsulation** and **material engineering** to ensure 20+ year operational lifespans.
3. **Scale-Up & Manufacturing**
- Many institutes partner with industry to translate lab-scale breakthroughs into pilot manufacturing lines.
- Topics include **roll-to-roll printing**, **slot-die coating**, and **laser patterning** for large-area perovskite modules.
4. **Tandem Architectures**
- Pairing perovskites with silicon or CIGS aims to exceed single-junction efficiency limits.
- Collaboration across academic labs and industry (e.g., Oxford PV, IMEC) is pushing tandem devices closer to commercialization.
5. **Emerging Applications**
- Beyond conventional rooftop or utility PV: flexible and **lightweight perovskite** modules, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), and specialized markets (e.g., drones, portable electronics).
---
### Conclusion
**Perovskite research** is a vibrant and rapidly evolving field, with major institutions across **Europe, Asia, North America, and beyond** contributing to breakthroughs in **materials science**, **device engineering**, **manufacturing processes**, and **commercial adoption** strategies. While the institutes listed here are frequently recognized for **pioneering work** and **high-impact results**, many additional universities and labs are also driving the field forward. As global demand for **low-cost, high-efficiency** solar technology continues to grow, **perovskites** will remain a critical area of research, with these leading centers likely to set the pace for innovation and industry success.
---
## 1. University of Oxford (UK)
- **Key Researchers/Groups**:
- Professor Henry Snaith’s group, credited with pioneering modern perovskite solar cells for photovoltaics.
- **Notable Spin-off**: **Oxford PV**, a leader in commercializing perovskite-on-silicon tandem cells.
- **Achievements**:
- Early demonstration of highly efficient perovskite-based cells.
- Ongoing improvements in cell architecture and stability, regularly setting or approaching world-record efficiencies.
## 2. National Renewable Energy Laboratory – NREL (USA)
- **Location**: Golden, Colorado, USA
- **Scope of Research**:
- Maintains the renowned **Best Research-Cell Efficiency** chart, widely cited in the PV field.
- Investigates perovskite material properties, interfaces, and tandem device configurations.
- **Achievements**:
- Numerous high-profile publications and patents related to perovskite bandgap engineering, stability, and scaling methods.
- Collaborative projects with universities and industry to accelerate commercialization.
## 3. EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) – Switzerland
- **Notable Labs**:
- **Graetzel Lab**, famous for dye-sensitized solar cells, now deeply involved in perovskites.
- **Achievements**:
- Developed novel perovskite formulations and techniques to improve film crystallinity.
- Advanced understanding of charge transport and recombination, informing device design.
## 4. University of New South Wales – UNSW (Australia)
- **Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP)**
- **Achievements**:
- Historically led silicon PV innovation (e.g., PERC cells) and has now extended expertise to perovskites.
- Research on perovskite-silicon tandem technologies, focusing on both lab-scale demonstrations and industry partnerships.
## 5. Sungkyunkwan University – SKKU (South Korea)
- **Key Researcher**: Professor Nam-Gyu Park
- **Achievements**:
- One of the first groups to demonstrate solid-state perovskite solar cells with impressive efficiencies.
- Continues to push forward device optimization, stability solutions, and fundamental material studies.
## 6. KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) – Solar Center (Saudi Arabia)
- **Location**: Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
- **Achievements**:
- Focus on hot-climate operation and stability of perovskite devices.
- Record-setting efficiency improvements and specialized testing for desert conditions.
## 7. Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) – Germany
- **Notable Program**: Perovskite-Silicon Tandem Research
- **Achievements**:
- Repeatedly set (or co-set) records for tandem cell efficiencies.
- Advanced characterization methods (including synchrotron-based techniques) to study perovskite layer formation.
## 8. Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) – Germany
- **Location**: Freiburg, Germany
- **Scope of Research**:
- One of the world’s largest solar research institutes, historically strong in silicon PV, now also prominent in perovskite-silicon tandems.
- **Achievements**:
- Development of scalable device architectures, advanced encapsulation technologies, and rigorous reliability testing.
## 9. Oxford PV (Spin-off from Oxford University) – UK/Germany
- **Commercial Entity** but heavily research-focused
- **Achievements**:
- Leading the commercial race for perovskite-silicon tandem modules, with pilot lines in Germany.
- Frequent announcements of record or near-record efficiencies for tandem devices under real manufacturing conditions.
## 10. MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) – USA
- **Interdisciplinary Groups** across Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering
- **Achievements**:
- Combines fundamental semiconductor physics research with energy policy analysis to inform real-world deployment.
- Investigations in perovskite device stability, novel compositions, and integration with flexible/organic substrates.
## 11. KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) – South Korea
- **Achievements**:
- Multiple groups focusing on perovskite device design, nano-patterning for improved light absorption, and passivation strategies.
- Collaborations with Korean solar industry on pilot-scale cell fabrication.
## 12. Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) – South Korea
- **Key Researchers**: Professor Sang-Il Seok, among others
- **Achievements**:
- Developed high-efficiency perovskite cells through advanced solution-processing.
- Emphasis on chemical engineering aspects of scalable perovskite manufacturing.
## 13. AIST (National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology) – Japan
- **Location**: Multiple campuses, major one in Tsukuba
- **Achievements**:
- Work on perovskite thin films, device stability, and synergy with Japan’s robust electronics sector.
- Collaboration with major Japanese tech companies (e.g., Panasonic, Sharp).
## 14. Stanford University – GCEP/Precourt Institute for Energy (USA)
- **Scope**:
- Interdisciplinary approach spanning materials, photonics, and device engineering.
- Studies the fundamentals of perovskite crystallization and device physics.
## 15. IMEC (Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre) – Belgium
- **Focus**: Semiconductor research spanning microelectronics to solar
- **Achievements**:
- Pioneered advanced tandem cell prototypes, employing both perovskite and silicon.
- Works closely with European industry to scale up high-efficiency concepts for commercial adoption.
## 16. Imperial College London – Energy Futures Lab (UK)
- **Achievements**:
- Combines materials discovery with system-level analysis of solar adoption.
- Notable for collaborative perovskite research, including stability enhancements and device interface engineering.
## 17. Loughborough University – CREST (Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology) – UK
- **Achievements**:
- Long history in PV systems research, increasingly active in perovskites.
- Operates pilot-scale lines and advanced reliability test facilities.
## 18. Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (EMPA) – Switzerland
- **Achievements**:
- Known for thin-film expertise (especially flexible CIGS) and now robust perovskite R&D.
- Investigates perovskite module packaging, stability, and roll-to-roll processing.
## 19. University of Toronto – Sargent Group (Canada)
- **Achievements**:
- Specializes in quantum dot and perovskite photovoltaics, with major advances in device passivation.
- Pioneered methods for high-performance colloidal quantum dot-perovskite hybrids.
## 20. Tsinghua University – Institute of New Energy (China)
- **Achievements**:
- Broad research in advanced PV materials, including perovskites.
- Collaborates closely with Chinese solar manufacturing giants for near-term commercialization.
## 21. Shanghai Jiao Tong University – PV Research (China)
- **Achievements**:
- R&D on perovskite film formation, device interfaces, and potential large-scale production.
- Publications on low-cost, solution-based approaches to perovskite manufacturing.
## 22. University of California, Berkeley – Renewable & Appropriate Energy Laboratory (USA)
- **Achievements**:
- Combines fundamental materials research with policy/economic modeling.
- Explores the feasibility of perovskite-based grid-scale deployment and novel device designs.
## 23. Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden)
- **Achievements**:
- Known for advanced nanophotonics and materials science.
- Investigates perovskite solar cells in tandem with plasmonic enhancements and photonic crystal structures.
## 24. Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology – GIST (South Korea)
- **Achievements**:
- Research on flexible and highly durable perovskite modules in humid, high-temperature conditions.
- Focus on interface engineering and advanced doping strategies.
## 25. University of Freiburg – Linked with Fraunhofer ISE (Germany)
- **Achievements**:
- Academic–industry synergy focusing on device modeling, passivation layers, and reliability testing.
- Comprehensive approach to perovskite solar module design and prototyping.
*(Note: Beyond the top 25, there are numerous other outstanding institutes worldwide. The following shorter listings simply illustrate that perovskite research is truly global.)*
## 26. University of Cambridge (UK) – Cavendish Laboratory
## 27. University of Manchester (UK) – Graphene/perovskite synergy
## 28. Aalto University (Finland) – Solution-processed perovskites
## 29. Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) – Perovskite–silicon tandem modeling
## 30. UC Santa Barbara (USA) – Materials Department, III–V/perovskite hybrids
## 31. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (USA) – Advanced spectroscopy & theory
## 32. NIMS (Japan) – National Institute for Materials Science, fundamental perovskite chemistry
## 33. Tokoyo Institute of Technology (Japan) – Novel multi-junction perovskite research
## 34. CNRS / Université de Paris-Saclay (France) – Collaborative EU perovskite projects
## 35. KRICT (Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology) – Material synthesis & encapsulation
## 36. KIER (Korea Institute of Energy Research) – Scale-up and pilot-line demonstration
## 37. University of Bristol (UK) – Device physics & photonics for perovskites
## 38. Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Germany) – Hybrid organic–inorganic materials
## 39. IMEM (Italy) – National research on advanced electronic materials including perovskites
## 40. University of Porto (Portugal) – Emerging perovskite-based tandem cells
## 41. King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi (Thailand) – Regional leader in perovskite R&D
## 42. Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi (India) – Growing focus on low-cost PSC devices
## 43. Nankai University (China) – Materials innovation & structural engineering for PSCs
## 44. University of Bayreuth (Germany) – Interdisciplinary approach, perovskite stability
## 45. University of Waterloo (Canada) – Device engineering & reliability studies
## 46. École Polytechnique (France) – Fundamental photophysics & materials design
## 47. KU Leuven (Belgium) – Collaborations with IMEC for tandem PV
## 48. University of Sheffield (UK) – Roll-to-roll printing & BIPV integration
## 49. University of Tokyo (Japan) – Research Center for Advanced Science & Technology
## 50. Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N, Singapore) – Tropical climate PSC testing & floating solar
---
## Common Themes & Achievements
1. **Efficiency Milestones**
- Numerous labs claim incremental or major **efficiency records** in single-junction and tandem perovskite solar cells.
2. **Focus on Stability**
- Moisture, heat, and UV sensitivity remain central research challenges.
- Laboratories worldwide are investing in **encapsulation** and **material engineering** to ensure 20+ year operational lifespans.
3. **Scale-Up & Manufacturing**
- Many institutes partner with industry to translate lab-scale breakthroughs into pilot manufacturing lines.
- Topics include **roll-to-roll printing**, **slot-die coating**, and **laser patterning** for large-area perovskite modules.
4. **Tandem Architectures**
- Pairing perovskites with silicon or CIGS aims to exceed single-junction efficiency limits.
- Collaboration across academic labs and industry (e.g., Oxford PV, IMEC) is pushing tandem devices closer to commercialization.
5. **Emerging Applications**
- Beyond conventional rooftop or utility PV: flexible and **lightweight perovskite** modules, building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV), and specialized markets (e.g., drones, portable electronics).
---
### Conclusion
**Perovskite research** is a vibrant and rapidly evolving field, with major institutions across **Europe, Asia, North America, and beyond** contributing to breakthroughs in **materials science**, **device engineering**, **manufacturing processes**, and **commercial adoption** strategies. While the institutes listed here are frequently recognized for **pioneering work** and **high-impact results**, many additional universities and labs are also driving the field forward. As global demand for **low-cost, high-efficiency** solar technology continues to grow, **perovskites** will remain a critical area of research, with these leading centers likely to set the pace for innovation and industry success.