The ENLIGHTENED project has now reached its halfway point, marking an important milestone with tangible results emerging across the consortium. Through the combined efforts of partners spanning the entire value chain—from material chemists to end users—the first version of the project’s demonstrator, a key deliverable, has been successfully developed and presented at LOPEC.
In parallel, the project has advanced the development of novel materials and material combinations aimed at improving performance, stability, and reducing environmental impact. Significant progress has also been made in data sharing, enabling more quantitative modelling of both stability and environmental performance. These initial results have been shared within the consortium and are currently undergoing further testing and validation by the respective partners, supporting the project’s continued progress toward its objectives.
The ENLIGHTENED consortium continues to evolve as the project progresses. We would like to thank Haltian for their contributions to the project so far and are pleased to welcome InVirtus Technologies as a new partner, further strengthening the consortium with expertise in IoT and asset tracking solutions. Their addition brings a strong application-driven perspective, supporting the project’s ambition to turn light energy harvesting into practical, real-world technologies.
By contributing to the validation of ENLIGHTENED solutions in large-scale tracking systems, InVirtus will help demonstrate how light-powered devices can reduce maintenance, increase efficiency, and enable more autonomous IoT deployments.
Understanding and predicting the stability of organic photovoltaics (OPV) is crucial to making this technology a viable solution for sustainable energy. In ENLIGHTENED, this key challenge is being tackled by Andrii Pechevystyi, a PhD student at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), who leads the project’s work on lifetime assessment and predictive modelling.
Originally from Ukraine, Andrii has been living in Germany since 2016. He holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in medical physics from Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. His academic background spans radioactivity, polymer physics and crystallization in his bachelor’s research, as well as semiconductor physics and photovoltaics in his master’s studies — providing a strong foundation for his role in ENLIGHTENED.
Since June 2025, Andrii has been pursuing his PhD at FAU under Prof. Christoph J. Brabec at the Chair of Materials for Electronics and Energy Technology. Within ENLIGHTENED, his research focuses on developing a machine-learning-based framework to predict OPV degradation and explain the physicochemical factors behind it. By combining deep learning, explainable machine learning and physical modelling, his work aims to forecast hundreds of hours of device degradation based on only the earliest measurements — supporting the development of more durable and efficient OPV modules.
Andrii’s fascination with renewable energy is rooted in a vision he has held since childhood: a world in which humanity lives in harmony with nature. For him, advancing sustainable technologies such as OPV is not just a scientific pursuit, but a meaningful contribution to shaping that future.
Andrii Pechevystyi, PhD student at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)
Andrii on the snowboard
Outside the lab, Andrii embraces new challenges with remarkable versatility. In November 2025, with only 26 days of prior snowboarding experience, he successfully completed an intensive international Level 2 snowboard instructor course. Just a few months later, in March 2026, he put these skills into practice by accompanying students from his former university, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, on a ski and snowboard trip to Passo del Tonale, Italy, where he worked as a snowboard instructor.
Through his work, Andrii is helping to ensure that OPV technologies become not only efficient, but also reliable over time — unlocking their full potential for sustainable energy solutions worldwide.
A few weeks ago this year’s edition of LOPEC, the leading internation event for printed electronics, took place in Munich Germany with a big part of the consortium represented. Partners showcased early demonstrators, shared progress and engaged with the wider industry. The event provided a valuable opportunity to present ENLIGHTENED technologies, strengthen collaborations, and connect with key stakeholders across the value chain.