OC Oerlikon Corp. AG, a global manufacturer of production systems, components and services for high-tech industrial applications, announced that Oerlikon Solar will become a new segment within the Oerlikon Group as the company continues to expand its commitment to its solar business. This new business segment is under the leadership of Oerlikon Solar CEO Jeannine Sargent.
"The creation of a stand-alone segment within Oerlikon further strengthens our solar presence and will enable us to extend our leadership in the marketplace," Sargent said. "We are in a strong position to grow our market share while continuing to supply the industry with highly efficient solar manufacturing fabs."
To escalate production capacities, increase research and development activities and enter new business areas quicker, Oerlikon Solar will bring together all solar core competencies and new technologies under one umbrella. Providing complete, fully automated solar production solutions to customers requires seamless integration of key technologies such as thin-film coating, laser advancements, specialized mechanical engineering fields and global customer support. As part of this push, Oerlikon Solar plans to double production capacity at its plant in Truebbach, Switzerland and has established a 1 MWp pilot line.
Additional manufacturing locations in Asia-Pacific and the United States are also currently under evaluation. Moreover, beginning in 2008 Oerlikon will report the solar segment financial figures separately as part of an ongoing effort to increase transparency. Additionally, Oerlikon Solar will carry full profit and loss responsibility for its global business.
