New challenges in the sectors of energy, mobility, health, sustainability, and communication require new technologies and materials. Polymers but also small organic molecules offer unique opportunities to design materials and to enable innovative technologies.

At the IPF, researchers of different disciplines work closely together to exploit this fascinating potential. As a member of the Leibniz Association, the institute is doing application-oriented basic research.The IPF is involved in the DRESDEN-concept network and in numerous national and international co-operations.

In the STEEP UP project, the IPF uses its numerous advanced methods for structure analysis of thin films for organic photovoltaics and aims to make an important contribution to the formulation of structure-property relationships for novel materials.

As the technology leader in organic photovoltaics, Heliatek develops, produces and distributes industrial-grade organic PV solar solutions for virtually any building surface (horizontal, vertical, curved, rigid, and flexible).

Heliatek stands for energy solutions designed for various traditional and never been possible before applications based on its unique features – it is ultra-light, flexible, ultra-thin and with a Carbon Footprint of less than 10 g CO2e/kWh a truly green solar solution.

Heliatek employs more than 250 people at the Dresden and Ulm locations in Germany.

The Institute of Organic Chemistry is a governmental research institute operated by the Polish Academy of Sciences. In the official classification, it is ranked no. 1 in organic chemistry and no. 2 in all scientific fields in Poland. The institute is led by Prof. Daniel T. Gryko, who is ERC Advanced Grant recipient.

It employs several well-known group leaders including three winners of Poland’s most prestigous scientific award from the Foundation for Polish Science and three members of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Alumni of ICO PAS have started several companies such as: OncoArendi and Apeiron Synthesis.

MOLTECH-Anjou is a unique research unit, from CNRS and the University of Angers, which has a strong expertise in the synthesis and the characterization of π-conjugated systems endowed with electronic properties as well as their use as active materials in organic electronic devices such as organic solar cells (OSCs).

Within the STEEP-UP project, we will synthesize new evaporable molecules with appropriate electronic properties for efficient vacuum-processed OSCs, making relationships between their photovoltaic performance and the structural organization of molecules in the solid state.

The laboratory for chemistry of novel materials at the University of Mons has a longstanding expertise in the modelling of semiconducting materials for energy-related applications, including Organic Photovoltaics (OPV).

We seek to gain an in-depth understanding of the various optoelectronic processes going on in working devices and guide synthetic efforts towards optimized molecular and device architectures.

With STEEP-UP, we hope will be able to contribute to a better understanding of what is causing energy disorder and voltage losses in molecular-based materials for OPV.