January 16, 2026

PNO meets Qcells: kick-off meeting for DIAMONDS4IF in Thalheim

On 7 January 2026, PNO Innovation’s IF experts met the management team of our new partner, Hanwha Qcells GmbH (Qcells).

The meeting took place in Thalheim (Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany), where Qcells carries out its research and innovation activities. The kick-off meeting helped us start the collaboration with a shared plan and common vision. We introduced the teams, aligned expectations, and planned the next steps and activities under DIAMONDS4IF. We also agreed on responsibilities and timelines to move quickly from planning to execution.

Qcells is planning to submit a funding application to the Innovation Fund under the current IF call. For this reason, we focused on concrete actions that support their preparation and keep the project on track.

The DIAMONDS4IF consortium faced significant changes and challenges in 2025. Over the past year, Meyer Burger Industries GmbH, declared insolvency and left the consortium, while completing all activities planned in Reporting Period 1.

The remaining project partners now welcome Qcells to the consortium and aim to further strengthen their joint capacity to deliver high-impact technological innovations in the field of renewable energy.