The company announced July 29 that it is joining MIT's Industrial Liaison Program, an initiative that promotes technology transfer between academia and private industry.
"The Industrial Liaison Program is a great way to bring together top minds in the industry to help drive innovation," Trina CEO Jifan Gao said.
The collaboration could also help Trina develop panels that work well in colder climates with variable weather patterns. MIT, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, experiences several months of cold weather each year - and as those who have visited New England know, the region's weather can change rapidly.
Trina has a significant amount of exposure to the European solar market, so the company could gain competitive advantage by developing panels that perform well in parts of the world with less-than-ideal weather conditions.
"As a member of the Industrial Liaison Program, Trina Solar can benefit from MIT's significant expertise and vast resources," MIT executive director of corporate relations Karl F. Koster said.
