L R AS Published on Saturday 9 February 2019 - n° 263 - Categories:industrial strategy

Meyer Burger sells another business

Meyer Burger sells its wafer manufacturing business to US-based Precision Surfacing Solutions for SFr. 50 million ($49 million), corresponding to one time the turnover of this business. The following will also be transferred

at PSS, an important part of the current production facilities of Meyer Burger in Thun, as well as around 100 employees from the wafer manufacturing technology portfolio in Thun and the corresponding service centres around the world.

Meyer Burger wants to refocus on the technologies of photovoltaic cell coating and panel connection.

PSS employs 900 people in thirteen plants on three continents. PSS will continue with product development activities. Wafer production will remain in China.

The manufacturing site in Thun is owned by Meyer Burger but is now leased to PSS and Swiss 3S Solar Plus, which acquired Meyer Burger's solar systems business in May 2018.

Photon of 8 February

Editor's note The company's refocusing operation should not come as a surprise as it was loss-making even in a period of strong investment by its clients: the Chinese have built up an industry producing photovoltaic equipment, which is drying up orders from Western suppliers. The company has already migrated to China to be close to its customers. Will this be enough?

The equipment manufacturers need to anticipate the evolution of technology and prepare the equipment. At the risk of making a mistake in the evolution! In the case of Meyer Burger, there is also the difficulty of being accepted in China by the Chinese photovoltaic industry, which prefers to work with other Chinese equipment manufacturers. To survive, it needs to be better than the Chinese equipment manufacturers. Is this possible? Is it sustainable?

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