PV equipment specialist, Meyer Burger Technology is streamlining its R&D activities at its Roth & Rau subsidiaries technology and product centre in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Germany with the loss of around 120 positions.
The company said that the R&D centre would focus on heterojunction (HJT) and Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) technologies for the PV industry and its plasma and ion beam surface technologies used in the semiconductor industry.
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Meyer Burger expects the streamlining to reduce operating costs of around CHF12 million.
Management reshuffle
As a part of the streamlining, the Board of Roth & Rau is being reduced to two members. Dr Jürgen Bode will be in charge of the photovoltaic business unit, while Peter Frankfurter will remain as Head of the Management Board and responsible for Finance and the Specialised Technologies business unit.
Meyer Burger said that Bernhard Gerber would leave the Management Board as planned on 30 June 2014 in order to fully dedicate himself to the COO role at Meyer Burger.
However, Thomas Hengst, currently part of Management Board responsible for Sales, will leave the Board effective 30 June 2014. He will continue in his sales management role at Roth & Rau AG with an emphasis on other areas, according to the company.