Meyer Burger advance and reduce in equal measures
Meyer Burger Technology Ltd has announced that it is further advancing the focussing process at its Roth & Rau AG technology and product centre in Hohenstein-Ernstthal in order to align its core technologies of heterojunction (HJT) and Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) technologies for the photovoltaic industry and its plasma and ION beam surface technologies.
Both the heterojunction technology for the manufacture of high efficiency cells and the MB-PERC upgrade technology for existing cell lines are key technologies for Meyer Burger for the coating of solar cells with which cell efficiencies of ≥20% (MB-PERC) and ≥22% (heterojunction) can be achieved. The plasma and ION beam technologies from MicroSystems deliver solutions for surface processing and the manufacture of sensors within the semiconductor industry and in the field of precision optics.
The restructuring measures at the product centre in Hohenstein-Ernstthal are expected to result in a reduction of around 120 personnel in Hohenstein-Ernstthal. The goal of these additional measures is the sustainable reduction in operating costs of around CHF 12 million at the Hohenstein-Ernstthal production centre.
Reduction of Management Board Roth & Rau AG
The Management Board of Roth & Rau AG will be reduced to two members. Dr Juergen Bode will be responsible for the photovoltaic business unit. Peter Frankfurter will remain as Head of the Management Board. In addition to being responsible for Finance, he will also assume responsibility for the new Specialised Technologies business unit. Bernhard Gerber, ad interim member of the Management Board of Roth & Rau AG since 1 July 2013, will leave the Management Board as planned on 30 June 2014 in order to focus on his role as COO of Meyer Burger Technology Ltd. Thomas Hengst, current member of the Management Board responsible for Sales, will leave the Management Board effective 30 June 2014. He will continue in his sales management role at Roth & Rau AG with an emphasis on other areas.
