Inclusive Solar Futures brings the solar community together to discuss diversity and equal opportunities

On 26 June, the Inclusive Solar Futures online roundtable brought together professionals from across the photovoltaic and solar thermal sectors to exchange experiences and discuss how diversity and inclusion can strengthen Europe's clean energy transition.

Co-organised by the PERSEUS project, SolarHub, and EERA – The European Energy Research Alliance, the event welcomed researchers, engineers, industry representatives, policymakers and other stakeholders committed to building a more inclusive solar sector.

The programme featured six parallel breakout discussions covering topics such as entering the sector, workplace culture, leadership, policy, future visions, and the realities of technical and site-based work. Participants openly discussed both the progress achieved in recent years and the challenges that remain.

One of the key messages emerging from the discussions was that while the solar sector has become more diverse and collaborative, significant barriers still exist. Women remain underrepresented across the broader energy transition, highlighting the importance of encouraging more women to pursue careers in science, engineering and renewable energy.

PERSEUS coordinator Thomas Kraft contributed to the event as one of the moderators, helping guide discussions that focused on practical ways to improve diversity across the sector. Several members of the PERSEUS consortium also actively supported the event, including Giulia Lucarelli (TNO), who chaired one of the breakout sessions.

Inclusive Solar Futures demonstrated that creating a more diverse workforce requires collaboration across research, industry and policy. By encouraging open dialogue and sharing experiences, initiatives like this help identify practical actions that can make the solar sector more accessible and attractive to future generations.