Title: Konarka collects $20M from new partner Konica Minolta - MassHighTech

Industry sector: Solar

Konarka collects $20M from new partner Konica Minolta

By Mass High Tech staff

Solar power technology company Konarka Technologies Inc. has taken in a $20 million investment from Japanese giant Konica Minolta Holdings Inc. in a deal that will have the two companies collaborate on organic thin-film photovoltaics.

Lowell-based Konarka is already producing a flexible thin-film photovoltaic product that it calls Power Plastic. Konica Minolta will bring to the table its experience in materials, optical and coating technologies from its decades in the photgraphy, photo processing and document handling businesses. The collaboration is scheduled to launch full-scale in April, officials said.

If the joint development project achieves set milestones, the companies plan to establish a joint venture company in Japan to produce organic thin-film photovoltaic panels. This would be in addition to Konarka’s existing production facility for its Power Plastic in New Bedford.

Read the full article in MassHighTech.