The creation of 80 new, highly skilled jobs was announced today at the official opening of the new Dublin headquarters of energy technology company SolarPrint.
The company, which specialises in the development of dye-sensitised solar cell (DSSC) technology used to convert light to energy, is currently patenting its technologies and will open its first high volume manufacturing line next year in Dublin.
SolarPrint was set up in 2008 by Dr Mazhar Bari, chief executive officer; Andre Fernon, chief financial officer; and Roy Horgan, business development director. It has devised a unique form of DSSC technology that can be developed to convert light to energy at a lower cost than other forms of photovoltaic technologies.
Jobs at SolarPrint
The company is currently recruiting for the new Dublin-based positions, which it says are highly skilled roles requiring personnel with exceptional qualifications in the fields of chemistry, electrical engineering, physics and material sciences. SolarPrint, which currently employs 20 staff but said this number is set to rise to 100 by the end of 2012, also plans to hire staff for commercial and financial roles to support its expansion plans.
“For us, this is the latest stage in our evolution from start-up firm to established enterprise,” said Bari. “Broadly speaking, our new staff will be split between engineering personnel, who will work on the production line and R&D staff, who will work on product development and testing.
“This recruitment drive will be a significant shot in the arm for the post-graduate research sector in Ireland and will help to position Ireland as a viable knowledge centre in the field of photovoltaic technology.
“However, on a wider level, we’d like to think that we’re making an important contribution to the ongoing advancement of the clean technology agenda in Ireland and elsewhere.”
“The firm has an exciting business plan which will generate 80 new jobs by focusing on product innovation in the fast-growing energy technology sector,” said Minister for Enterprise Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe, TD, who officially opened the new headquarters in Sandyford earlier today.
“Ireland is now recognised internationally as a top incubator for product innovation,” he continued. “SolarPrint’s ambitious expansion plans demonstrate that we have the right mix of pro-business taxation policies, high-potential enterprise supports and talented workforce to enable firms to create products and services for worldwide consumption.”
Recent agreements
SolarPrint recently signed an agreement with Fiat to develop solar panels to be incorporated into the roof surface of automotives, to generate alternative sources of energy for vehicles by converting light to power. It has also just entered into an agreement with the Taiwanese Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) for the joint development of new photovoltaic (PV) solutions that can be used in consumer applications.
“Our success in reaching agreements with Fiat and Taiwan and the interest expressed in our technologies by global consumer companies in particular, encouraged us to set up a pilot production line last year,” said Bari. “Having refined and stress tested our manufacturing processes, we will move to high volume manufacturing in 2011. This is a very exciting development for us and will help SolarPrint drive the demand for our technologies in Ireland and overseas.”
