The EU crystalline silicon (c‐Si) PV manufacturing industry has faced strong foreign competition in the last decade. To strive in this competitive environment and differentiate itself from the competition, the EU c‐Si PV manufacturing industry needs to (1) focus on highly performing c‐Si PV technologies, (2) include sustainability by design, and (3) develop differentiated PV module designs for a broad range of PV applications to tap into rapidly growing existing and new markets. This is precisely the aim of the 3.5 years long H2020 funded HighLite project, which started in October 2019 under the work program LC‐SC3‐RES‐15‐2019: Increase the competitiveness of the EU PV manufacturing industry. To achieve this goal, the HighLite project focuses on bringing two advanced PV module designs and the related manufacturing solutions to higher technology readiness levels (TRL). The first module design aims to combine the benefits of n‐type silicon heterojunction (SHJ) cells (high efficiency and bifaciality potential, improved sustainability, rapidly growing supply chain in the EU) with the ones of shingle assembly (higher packing density, improved modularity, and excellent aesthetics). The second module design is based on the assembly of low‐cost industrial interdigitated back‐contact (IBC) cells cut in half or smaller, which is interesting to improve module efficiencies and increase modularity (key for application in buildings, vehicles, etc.). This contribution provides an overview of the key results achieved so far by the HighLite project partners and discusses their relevance to help raise the EU PV industries' competitiveness. We report on promising high‐efficiency industrial cell results (24.1% SHJ cell with a shingle layout and 23.9% IBC cell with passivated contacts), novel approaches for high‐throughput laser cutting and edge re‐passivation, module designs for BAPV, BIPV, and VIPV applications passing extended testing, and first 1‐year outdoor monitoring results compared with benchmark products.

Transition to circular economy (CE) requires that organisations change the way they do activities. Through digitalisation the information flow can be improved across all the value chain. The information that is particularly relevant for CE needs to be created in the first place and shared within the organisation and among them to implement CE strategies. Implementation of CE strategies requires that organisations has the ability to access technologies through technology transfer to achieve higher co-operation levels. Circular processes can be defined as those processes within organisations that positively contributes towards CE principles implementation, such as re-using or recycling products and materials. Within this article knowledge management (KM), digitalisation, and technology transfer (TT) are analysed through systematic literature review to understand the impact of these three concepts on organisations capabilities to develop circular processes. The knowledge management theory demonstrate the need for higher attention on how within organisations and between organisations CE related information could be managed to achieve CE strategies for organisations and their networks, such as supply chain. Technology transfer ensures that there are pathways to transfer relevant technologies that can improve or enable CE processes to multiple organisations through open source or conditional transfers. A concept based on a literature review is proposed on how digitalisation facilitates knowledge management within & among organisations, improves decision making of circular processes, and enables CE strategies implementation.