Elizabeth Wilmot, Strait Times 4 Sep 08;
A LEADING global supplier of technology and services is opening a regional research and technology centre here.
The Bosch Group, which deals in automotive parts and consumer goods, will build the $30 million centre at its base near Bishan.
The centre, which was launched yesterday, will direct its initial research efforts into finding more efficient ways of converting sunlight into energy.
Photovoltaics - solar cell technology - traditionally uses silicon as the base material for converting sunlight into electrical energy.
The German firm's new facility will conduct research and development into organic photovoltaics. Its target is to use cheaper organic materials such as polymers in place of costly silicon.
It hopes to be able to create viable organic solar cells within five to 10 years.
A Bosch spokesman added that the initial $30 million investment in the research centre could go higher if results look particularly promising.
The potential is enormous for the energy industry, which is on the lookout for cheap, renewable resources as the world grapples with decreasing oil output and astronomical crude prices.
Until the research centre is completed - a year from now - Bosch, which has been in Singapore since 1958, will use the Nanyang Technological University's laboratories.
Mr S. Iswaran, Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, said at the launch ceremony yesterday: 'Companies find Singapore an attractive R&D location because of our strong regime for the protection of intellectual property rights and the availability of good local and foreign talent.'
The junior minister, who was the guest of honour at the ceremony, added that he hoped more companies would follow Bosch's example in using Singapore as a 'living laboratory' to test, prove and implement solutions before exporting them to the rest of the world.
Singapore has become heavily involved in solar cell technology and its research over recent years.
A major commitment came earlier this year when the Government granted $130 million to the new Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore, set up by the National University of Singapore.
And global companies have been setting up shop here, including Norway's Renewable Energy Corporation, which is investing $6.3 billion in a solar cell plant.
Swiss firm Oerlikon is spending $38.9 million to build a plant to produce equipment for manufacturing thin film solar modules comprising of individual solar cells.
Bosch Singapore supplies auto parts, packaging solutions for dry and liquid foods and pharmaceuticals, and consumer goods such as power tools and household appliances.
Searching for cheaper material
SUNLIGHT is a source of clean and renewable energy but silicon, which is needed in solar cell technology, is an expensive choice in terms of material and manufacturing costs.
A square metre of silicon solar panel costs about 350 euros (S$727).
The aim of organic photovoltaics is to use cheaper materials such
as polymers. If research and development proves successful, the same panel will cost about 100 euros.
ELIZABETH WILMOT
