RIYADH: Officials from a Saudi university have signed an agreement with a leading photovoltaics company to promote innovation in solar energy technologies. The deal between King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and Chinese firm LONGi was inked during the Shanghai New International Expo Conference, a global event for the solar energy sector. Under the terms of the memorandum of understanding, both parties will work toward advancing innovation and accelerating the adoption of sustainable energy solutions to meet the challenges of climate change, in line with Vision 2030 and Saudi Green Initiative targets, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Tuesday. One of KAUST’s aims has been to develop solar technology to meet regional and global energy needs and the partnership will allow the Thuwal-based university to combine its latest research with LONGi’s expertise and scale up its laboratory work to industrial levels. Joint projects to be run as part of the MoU agreement will include testing new photovoltaic module concepts in the real world and outdoor conditions, creating new materials and designs for solar cells, developing advanced manufacturing processes, and improving performance. The penning of the MoU follows on from several joint educational and vocational training programs involving workshops, exchange visits, and idea-sharing sessions between researchers, engineers, and students, partly designed to improve skill sets among workers employed in the Kingdom’s photovoltaic energy sector. LONGi is a global supplier of solar technology, specializing in the research, development, and manufacturing of high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells and modules.