AIKO , a pioneering company in Back Contact (BC) technology, has announced the extension of its collaboration with Nordlys NTNU, Norway's first solar vehicle team. The agreement, which will run through 2026–2027, will allow AIKO to continue supplying its high-efficiency ABC cells for the team's vehicle development.
Nordlys first chose AIKO's ABC cells in 2025, when the team was just starting out. A year later, they have decided to continue this collaboration.
Founded at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim, Nordlys is Norway's first solar vehicle team. AIKO's ABC cells offer industry-leading efficiency and an improved temperature coefficient, promoting stable performance under varying conditions. Their fully back-contact design eliminates metallization on the front to maximize light absorption, while the silver-free metallization reduces the risk of microcracks during assembly and operation.
“The continued collaboration with AIKO gives us confidence,” says Rasmus Nummelin , Project and Board Leader of Nordlys NTNU.
“We are a young team, but AIKO trusted us when we started and continues to support us. Their ABC cells provide the technical foundation we need. Their efficiency is industry-leading, and the back-contact design allows us to maximize the vehicle’s active solar area. Having reliable technology on board allows us to focus on everything else we need to build and learn. We need components that perform as specified, every time, and AIKO’s ABC cells have met our technical expectations throughout the entire development process,” he added.
The continuation of this partnership reflects AIKO's approach to supporting innovation. The company invests not only in established teams but also in projects that are just starting out and have everything to prove.
“We are proud to continue our collaboration with Nordlys. We believe in supporting the next generation of engineers, not only when they win, but especially when they are still defining their path. Nordlys represents exactly that: young engineers with big ambitions, building something from scratch. We want to continue supporting them,” said Jessica Zhang , Chief Marketing Officer of AIKO .
By supporting young engineers who will help define the future of energy, AIKO brings advanced solar technology closer to new generations and links it to concrete projects that help drive the transition to a zero-carbon energy model.