Solar Made in the EU: Strategies for Creating a Resilient Domestic Solar Market Based on High Internal Value Creation

Dries is SolarPower Europe's Deputy CEO and is responsible for the policy work of the association. He joined SolarPower Europe from the European Climate Foundation, where he was director of the energy programme for over a decade. Previously, he worked at Apple Inc., in the EMEA public affairs department. Dries holds a master's degree in contemporary history from the Catholic University of Brussels and Leuven, Belgium, and a post-graduate degree in international relations from the Karl-Rüprecht University in Heidelberg, Germany.

Karl Melkonyan (B.Sc.) is a principal analyst in the Clean Energy Technology team at S&P Global Energy, specializing in renewable energy markets with a focus on photovoltaics, energy storage, and solar companies.He brings expertise in financial analysis, manufacturing technologies, materials, and emerging trends across the PV and storage sectors. His work centers on assessing market dynamics and forecasting innovations shaping the clean energy landscape.

Marius Mordal Bakke is Vice President and Head of Solar and Storage Research at Rystad Energy, where he leads the company's global analysis of the solar PV and energy storage systems (ESS) markets. His work spans manufacturing trends, supply chain dynamics, and technology competitiveness across the clean energy value chain. Marius delivers strategic insights to energy companies, investors, policymakers, and manufacturers navigating a rapidly evolving global energy transition. At Rystad, Marius oversees a research team focused on solar and storage deployment forecasts, global manufacturing capacity, supply-demand modeling, and industrial policy impacts. His analysis frequently addresses high-priority industry issues such as US and EU solar industrial strategies, domestic content requirements, China's role in the supply chain, and the implications of trade policy and tariffs on procurement and manufacturing decisions.

Prof. Dr. Peter Fath is a worldwide known renewable energy visionary. Starting from the early days of renewable and solar industry, he took the lead on the green energy transition with groundbreaking establishments, semi-conductor developments and integrated solar manufacturing facilities from polysilicon production to the end product - solar modules. Currently, he is the CEO of RCT Solutions GmbH - which works closely with investors, governments, and factories globally to establish solar manufacturing facilities by providing extensive owner's engineering services. He is also the Chairman of the Solar Equipment Machine Maker Group at the German Engineering Federation - VDMA (Verbandes Deutsche Maschinenbau Anlagen). Dr. Fath has held senior positions with multiple leading equipment managers, including Rena GmbH and centrotherm, and actively holds lectures on the topic of manufacturing technology in the photovoltaic industry at leading institutes including the University of Stuttgart and University of Applied Science, Ravensburg. He is also founder and director of solar research center ISC Konstanz, executive board member of European Solar Manufacturing Council - ESMC, one of the founding signatories of the The European Solar PV Industry Alliance. As a pioneer in the sector, he and his team shaped the solar industry, executing vertical and horizontal solar manufacturing facilities around the globe and helping the world to reach zero emissions targets. Dr Peter Fath has more than 200 publications, 15 patents, is board member of the world's most well-known associations such as the German Machine Maker Association, ISC International Solar Research Institute, and the European Solar Manufacturing Council. He is one oft he founding members of the European Solar PV Industry Alliance commissioned by European Union. Dr Peter Fath holds a PhD in Semiconductor Physics from the University of Konstanz. He studied Chemistry and Physics at the University of Heidelberg, Konstanz, IMEC in Leuven, and the IMT in Neuchatel. He speaks 3 languages, German, English and French. Since 2012, he is a lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences Ravensburg-Weingarten.

Dr. Oliver Schultz-Wittmann is Chief Technology Officer at HoloSolis where he leads technology strategy and the development of next-generation photovoltaic cell and module production. With over two decades of experience spanning research, industry and entrepreneurship, his work focuses on advancing high-efficiency silicon and tandem solar cell technologies from laboratory innovation to industrial scale.Dr. Schultz-Wittmann previously has held leadership roles across the photovoltaic sector, including Senior Scientist and Project Leader at the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems and in quality management for global PV project portfolios across the U.S.A., Europe and Asia. As Director of Silicon R&D at First Solar, and Co-Founder of TetraSun, he contributed to the invention and development of passivating contact (TOPCon) solar cell technology. Dr. Schultz-Wittmann earned his PhD in physics (Dr. rer. nat.) through the University of Konstanz in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems, where he developed the first multicrystalline silicon solar cells exceeding 20% efficiency, setting a world record for the material at the time. He holds a Diplom-Physiker degree from the University of Hamburg and an International Diploma from Imperial College London.His contributions to photovoltaic science and technology have been recognized with several honors, including the IEEE Young Professional Award. Dr. Schultz-Wittmann has led international R&D teams, contributed to the development and commercialization of advanced solar technologies, and advised organizations across Europe, the United States, and Asia. He currently serves on advisory boards in Germany and Australia, contributing to the advancement of solar energy deployment worldwide.