ES Foundry collaborates with MIT to advance US solar manufacturing

ES Foundry has announced it is joining the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Initiative for New Manufacturing (INM) and committing USD 1.5 million over three years to the initiative as part of a new collaboration focused on strengthening US manufacturing.

This collaboration will accelerate ES Foundry’s research into AI-driven efficiencies and advanced operating models, according to a press release.  

In July, the US company completed a 2 GW expansion of its Greenwood, South Carolina factory, bringing total annual solar cell manufacturing capacity to 3 GW and supporting more than 400 advanced manufacturing jobs.

“We have made a significant investment in bringing solar cell manufacturing back to the United States. This commitment to MIT’s Initiative for New Manufacturing is an investment in making that manufacturing stronger,” said Alex Zhu, CEO of ES Foundry. “We are operating at commercial scale every day, which gives us a very practical view of where technology, automation and workforce development can make a difference.”  

Through INM, ES Foundry will work with MIT faculty, researchers and students as well as manufacturers from other industries on topics including AI on the factory floor, automated systems, cybersecurity, digital twins, continuous innovation and workforce development.

“Manufacturing challenges become very real when you are running a factory 24 hours a day,” said Lionel Moss, General Manager of Operations at ES Foundry. “You are constantly looking at how to improve yield, productivity, equipment performance, processes and workforce capabilities. We have a lot to learn from the work happening at MIT, but we also have experiences from Greenwood that can contribute to that work.”  

“ES Foundry brings a valuable perspective to the Initiative for New Manufacturing,” said John Hart, Class of 1922 Professor, Head of the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering, and faculty co-director of the Initiative for New Manufacturing. “We’re excited to collaborate and we welcome ES Foundry to the INM community.”