Universities, research organizations, public institutions and industrial companies in Türkiye have been participating in European consortia in the energy sector under the Horizon Europe program since 2021. Their work covers electricity grids, energy systems, energy efficiency, sustainable buildings, hydrogen and solar energy technologies.
Publicly available project data show that around 150 participants from Türkiye have taken part in approximately 80 energy projects. The total project budget allocated to Turkish organizations in these projects has reached approximately €94.5 million.
Türkiye coordinates photovoltaic projects
Organizations from Türkiye are coordinating four photovoltaic projects. Industrial companies, research centers and public institutions are working together on projects ranging from next-generation photovoltaic technologies and production processes to circularity and applications integrated with different sectors.
Kalyon PV is coordinating the PV4Plants project, which has a budget of approximately €4.9 million. The project brings agriculture and energy production together in the same area and also involves the Middle East Technical University Solar Energy Research and Application Center, Yıldız Technical University, Tat Gıda and ESG Yazılım.
Pilot applications in Türkiye, Spain and Denmark are seeking to optimize panel tilt, irrigation levels and fertilizer quantities using real-time data. The applications use solar panels produced by Kalyon PV under patents held by ODTÜ-GÜNAM and Yıldız Technical University.
The TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center is coordinating the SUN-TRANS project, which has a budget of approximately €8.2 million. The project, involving ODTÜ-GÜNAM, Bozankaya, Musoshi and the İzmir Electricity, Water, Gas, Bus and Trolleybus General Directorate, aims to integrate photovoltaic systems into electric buses and last-mile delivery vehicles.
Pilot applications in İzmir, Romania’s Alba Iulia and Spain’s Bilbao will test vehicle-integrated solar panels, power electronics and artificial intelligence-supported fleet management solutions.
New projects to begin in 2027
ODTÜ-GÜNAM will also coordinate the PRELAM-IPV and CRAFT-PV projects, which are scheduled to begin in 2027. Kalyon PV and Cubichem are participating in PRELAM-IPV, while Elin Elektrik, ITECHSOLAR and Solarvis are participating in CRAFT-PV.
The projects are planned to run for approximately three years and will focus on reducing the use of critical raw materials, developing recyclable and long-lasting solar panels, and creating new production processes.
Solar cell and panel production
Assoc. Prof. Selçuk Yerci, chair of the ODTÜ-GÜNAM Board of Directors, said that public support and Türkiye’s production capacity had contributed to the country’s momentum in photovoltaic technologies. Yerci said that, because of China’s strong position in the solar energy sector, some industrial companies had withdrawn from the sector in unprotected regions, while the sector had strengthened in protected markets such as Türkiye.
Yerci said Europe hosts strong research organizations in solar energy and that European research centers cooperate with industrial representatives in Türkiye, monitor the sector’s challenges and seek to remain competitive in research and development.
Yerci said Türkiye produces more solar cells and panels than Europe as a whole and can export them to other protected markets such as the United States. He noted that, alongside domestic cell production, glass, polymers, junction boxes and metal connectors can also be produced in Türkiye.
Aim is to become a technology leader
Yerci said ODTÜ-GÜNAM and Turkish companies had participated in previous Horizon Europe projects mainly as technology-provider partners. He said that, with ODTÜ-GÜNAM leading the PRELAM-IPV and CRAFT-PV projects, the center had assumed a role in steering innovation, while Turkish companies had taken on the role of primary beneficiaries.
Yerci said they aim for solar panels produced in Türkiye to be recognized worldwide for their high quality, adding that this would enable them to compete globally with Indian and Korean brands.
Yerci said the success of the projects should not be measured solely by the European Union funding received. He said the projects had been prepared in cooperation with major European research organizations, taking Türkiye’s and Europe’s energy independence priorities into account. He noted that the projects cover a period of approximately three years and that it is not yet possible to say how much benefit their results will deliver.
