UK-based perovskite specialist Oxford PV has signed a joint development agreement (JDA) with a global manufacturer of solar cells and modules.

Oxford PV has not named the partner but said it would focus on helping commercialise and up-scale the silicon/perovskite PV technology it has been developing, while also working on necessary manufacture processes.

Frank Averdung, chief executive at Oxford PV, said the agreement provided “independent ratification” of the company’s technology.

“Whilst our research activities in Oxford focus on the future product roadmap, we are now ready to prepare our technology for commercialisation and will work on this with our partner in the German pilot line,” he added.

Last month the company confirmed that it had purchased a facility previously belonging to Bosch Solar in Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, which it is to convert into a pilot-line for its solar cells.

That news came less than a month after it raised US$10.7 million in Series C funding, part of which was to be allocated towards commercialising its technology via IP partnerships with PV manufacturers.