Dr. Malinkiewicz invented a way to make photovoltaic cells based on perovskite crystals, using inkjet printing.
he BPCC’s Michael Dembinski talks to Dr Malinkiewicz about how the future of solar energy is about to be revolutionised.
How did you first come up with the idea of mass-producing perovskite [a translucent crystal that can generate electricity when light shines on it]? What obstacles did you have to overcome before you could set up a production facility in Poland?
The idea of starting a company with the goal of large-scale production came from my business partners and co-founders of Saule Technologies. Piotr Krych and Artur Kupczunas believed in my ideas and the potential of perovskites. I trusted them entirely on the financial and business aspects, so that I could focus on finding a team to run research and on equipping the lab. Everyone else around us did not believe we could successfully start a high-tech company requiring years of research here, in Poland, but we felt it was the right thing to do. In the end, it was also a very careful business decision – in Poland, we could apply for massive grants from the EU to support innovation in the region.