SunFab

Mike Splinter, chairman and CEO of Applied Materials spoke today regarding the restructuring of the company's Energy and Environmental Solutions division.

We are pleased to announce that two products from the Applied Materials SunFab Thin Film group have made the short-list for the 2010 Solar Industry Awards. These awards were created to recognize products and services which will develop innovative manufacturing techniques and products which have the potential to change the way we live.

The Aspen Ideas Festival has been an amazing opportunity to see what some of the greatest minds in the world are doing to help the world innovate and progress. Applied Materials’ focus was on how our high-tech manufacturing has the potential to re-energize the U.S. manufacturing sector (watch Applied Materials Chairman and CEO Mike Splinter’s talk here). Other topics discussed have ranged from encouraging consumers to be green to redefining the purpose and goals of higher education.

Some are doubting that Silicon Valley still has the drive to change the world as we have in the past. I was just part of a story on the PBS Newshour related to this topic, where as a contrast, Applied Materials was highlighted for the innovation we’ve delivered with our SunFab PV technology, which leverages our semiconductor heritage to focus on this large-scale solar opportunity.

Just how diverse and competitive the thin film solar industry is becoming was evident at Photon’s second PV Technology Show held in San Francisco last week.