The New Mexico Economic Development Department has successfully brokered a joint technology research agreement between Sharp Corp., the world’s leading producer of solar photovoltaic components and systems, and Sandia Corp., operator of Sandia National Laboratories.

The agreement, called a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA), has been in negotiation since June 2004, following Gov. Bill Richardson’s meeting with Sharp’s executives in Tokyo to sign an MOU between New Mexico and Sharp.

“Our goal in Asia is to leverage the state’s world class research and development to attract major companies, like Sharp, to do new product research, development, testing and prototype manufacturing here,” said New Mexico Economic Development Department Secretary Rick Homans.

This CRADA specifies that the collaborative research will focus initially on advanced fuel cell technologies. Later in the program the collaborative will evolve to encompass the advancement of photovoltaic system technologies (which include reliability, durability, calibration and advanced applications) and potential agricultural applications for solar energy systems. In the future it is expected that both New Mexico State University and Los Alamos National Laboratories will become involved in this research collaboration.

“Sharp will be able to take advantage of the research capacity, superb solar environment for testing, and prototype manufacturing capabilities within the State of New Mexico,” stated Mr. Takashi Tomita, Corporate Director and Group General Manager of Sharp Solar Systems Group, “This in turn will help us continue to bring advancements to market in solar energy and other clean energy technologies.”

Sharp Corp., based in Osaka, Japan, is the world’s largest producer of solar photovoltaic components and systems, and is the market leader in the US. Sharp is a world leader in the solar photovoltaic technology, with extensive research programs underway in solar and other production capabilities for both crystalline silicon and thin film photovoltaic technologies. Sharp’s solar manufacturing facilities are located in Japan, U.S. (Memphis) and in the UK.

Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corp., a Lockheed Martin company, for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Sandia has major R&D responsibilities in national security, energy and environmental technologies, and economic competitiveness.