Henkel has entered a strategic partnership with Brilliant Matters to accelerate the industrial scale-up of organic photovoltaics (OPV), focusing on next-generation screen-printable silver inks designed for high-throughput roll-to-roll manufacturing.

 

The collaboration targets a long-standing bottleneck in OPV commercialization: producing high-resolution conductive silver lines on delicate OPV sub-stacks without introducing defects that reduce efficiency or shorten device lifespan. 

 

While OPV technology has advanced rapidly in labs, industrial-scale metallization has remained one of the most persistent barriers to mass production.

 

The anchor of the effort is Brilliant Matters’ BM10 platform, a recently launched OPV solution aimed at reshaping the market. BM10 enables flexible, semitransparent OPV panels delivering more than 100 W/m² under standard test conditions, with operational lifetimes exceeding 25 years. 

 

Translating those performance levels into factory production depends on precise integration across materials, printing methods, and device architecture.

 

“Delivering high-performance OPV at scale requires more than material innovation – it demands a fully optimized ecosystem,” said Philippe Berrouard, Chief Technology Officer at Brilliant Matters. 

 

“Our collaboration with Henkel reflects our commitment to assembling all the critical pieces needed to enable reliable, high-throughput OPV manufacturing.” 

 

Varun Vohra, Engineering Department Manager at Brilliant Matters, added: “Achieving fine-line conductive patterning on sensitive OPV device stacks requires precise control over material formulation, print rheology, and process integration. 

 

"By combining Henkel’s expertise in advanced conductive inks with Brilliant Matters’ OPV platform and roll-to-roll manufacturing know-how, we are developing metallization solutions specifically engineered to enable scalable, defect-minimized OPV production.”

 

Henkel brings established expertise in conductive inks and adhesives for printed electronics, leveraging its global manufacturing footprint to support scalable industrial deployment. The partnership aims to co-develop inks that meet the demanding precision and durability requirements of OPV production lines.

 

“By combining Henkel’s in-depth know-how in silver ink formulation and chemistries, with Brilliant Matters’ deep understanding of OPV device architecture, we are accelerating the path toward industrial adoption,” said Thibaut Soulestin, Technology Manager for Printed Electronics at Henkel. 

 

“This partnership highlights the importance of cross-industry collaboration in bringing next-generation energy technologies to market.”

 

The companies say they have already spent the past year co-developing screen-printable silver inks optimized for conductivity, resolution, and process compatibility in roll-to-roll environments, with early results pointing to strong scalability potential.

 

Both Henkel and Brilliant Matters will showcase progress at the upcoming TechBlick Conference TechBlick Conference, where industry players in OPV and printed electronics are expected to gather.

 

Henkel is also inviting further engagement from industrial partners interested in scaling OPV manufacturing technologies