Meyer Burger
Swiss photovoltaic equipment and solar technology manufacturer that later expanded into producing heterojunction solar cells and modules.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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History
Meyer Burger traces its origins to a mechanical workshop founded by Hans Meyer in Hünibach-Eichbühl in the early 1950s. When Wilhelm Burger became a co-owner in 1953, the business adopted the Meyer & Burger name. The company made machinery for the watch industry, including equipment used in the processing of watch stones. It moved to a new factory in Steffisburg in 1956 and later concentrated on cut-off machines, sawing equipment and the UW1 universal machine tool. The business remained in the Hilterfingen area until 1998. The expansion of photovoltaics created a new market for Meyer Burger's precision-machining capabilities. In 1999, the company created a holding structure in Zug and introduced a bandsaw designed for the solar industry. As crystalline-silicon photovoltaic production grew, Meyer Burger entered European, Asian and American markets and expanded its portfolio beyond individual machines. Its equipment became associated with wafer cutting, cell processing, module assembly and photovoltaic testing. In 2006, Meyer & Burger Holding AG changed its name to Meyer Burger Technology AG. The company's shares began trading on the SIX Swiss Exchange in November of that year. The headquarters later moved to Thun, with the group relocating into a new building in 2012. A central phase of expansion occurred from 2010 to 2012. Meyer Burger merged with 3S Industries in 2010, bringing the Pasan business into the group. Pasan, based in Neuchâtel, developed solar-cell and module testing systems, including solar simulators used by certification organizations and photovoltaic manufacturers. The broader 3S organization also contributed module-production and solar-building technology capabilities. Meyer Burger acquired a majority stake in Roth & Rau in 2011. Roth & Rau and related businesses supplied systems for photovoltaic surface processing and contributed to the industrialization of PERC technology. The group also developed production systems for heterojunction solar cells. Through acquisitions and internal development, Meyer Burger sought to cover the photovoltaic value chain from silicon wafer processing through cell and module production. The company subsequently streamlined its portfolio. The 3S business was separated from the group and sold in 2018 as 3S Solar Plus. AIS Automation Dresden was sold in 2019, and the sawing and cutting technology division was sold to Precision Surfacing Solutions for CHF 50 million in the same year. Roth & Rau Netherlands was sold in December 2019, while Muegge GmbH was sold in 2020. These divestments reflected a move away from a broad equipment conglomerate toward a more focused solar-technology strategy. Meyer Burger's financial performance led to a major governance and strategic conflict. After eight years of losses, the board and important shareholders, including Sentis Capital and Elysium Capital, publicly disagreed about the company's direction. Shareholder representatives entered the board in 2020, and the company raised CHF 165 million to finance a turnaround. The revised strategy emphasized proprietary heterojunction solar cells and SmartWire Connection Technology rather than relying solely on equipment sales. The company then began manufacturing solar cells and modules itself. Production at facilities in Thalheim, in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, and Freiberg began in 2021. The equipment used in this manufacturing strategy was developed and built by Meyer Burger's own equipment unit in Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Saxony. In 2022, the company announced further expansion and obtained approval for a CHF 250 million capital increase. Its research program included perovskite tandem solar cells and next-generation modules, carried out with partners including CSEM, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems and the University of Stuttgart. Meyer Burger also became the largest shareholder in Oxford Photovoltaics in 2019, although Oxford PV sought to terminate the cooperation agreement in 2021. Meyer Burger attempted to establish a larger manufacturing presence in the United States. Plans involving Colorado Springs were later paused in favor of a two-gigawatt project in Goodyear, Arizona. In August 2024, the company placed the Colorado plans on hold and concentrated on Arizona. The strategy nevertheless encountered severe financial pressure. In May 2025, Meyer Solar reportedly stopped U.S. manufacturing and closed the Arizona plant, affecting nearly 300 workers. Meyer Burger Germany filed for insolvency in June and stopped production. On June 25, 2025, the parent company filed for Chapter 11 protection, citing the competitive pressure created by imported Asian solar panels. The available material does not establish the ultimate outcome of the proceedings, so the company's final corporate status remains unresolved.
- 2025
U.S. and German operations halt amid insolvency
[1]The Arizona plant was closed, Meyer Burger Germany filed for insolvency, and the parent company later sought Chapter 11 protection.
- 2024
U.S. expansion priorities change
[1]Meyer Burger placed the Colorado project on hold and prioritized the planned Goodyear, Arizona, manufacturing site.
- 2022
Further expansion financing
[1]The company announced production expansion and received approval for a CHF 250 million capital increase.
- 2021
German solar-cell and module production begins
[1]Meyer Burger began producing heterojunction solar cells and modules at German facilities in Thalheim and Freiberg.
- 2020
Turnaround strategy and capital increase
[1]After prolonged losses and shareholder conflict, the company changed strategy and raised CHF 165 million to focus on proprietary solar technologies.
- 2019
Sawing and cutting division sold
[1]Meyer Burger sold its sawing and cutting technology division to Precision Surfacing Solutions.
- 2018
3S business divested
[1]The former 3S business was separated and sold as 3S Solar Plus.
- 2012
Headquarters move to Thun
[1]The group headquarters were relocated to Thun after the company moved into a new building.
- 2011
Majority stake in Roth & Rau
[1]Meyer Burger acquired a majority stake in Roth & Rau, strengthening its photovoltaic surface-processing and cell-production technology portfolio.
- 2010
Merger with 3S Industries
[1]The merger expanded Meyer Burger's capabilities in module manufacturing, testing and solar production systems, including the Pasan business.
Products and positioning
A vertically oriented photovoltaic technology company combining manufacturing equipment expertise with proprietary high-efficiency cell and module technologies, especially heterojunction cells and SmartWire interconnection. Its later strategy emphasized European and U.S. production as an alternative to dependence on Asian-imported solar modules.
Solar manufacturing equipment
Photovoltaic production equipment
Meyer Burger developed industrial equipment for multiple stages of photovoltaic production. Its historical systems included machines for cutting silicon wafers, processing and coating cell surfaces, forming solar cells, assembling modules and automating manufacturing steps. The portfolio was built through internal development and acquisitions and was intended to help manufacturers operate across the wafer-to-cell-to-module value chain.
Photovoltaic cell technology
Heterojunction solar-cell technology
Heterojunction technology combines different semiconductor structures in a high-efficiency crystalline-silicon solar cell. Meyer Burger developed production systems for this technology and later used its own equipment to manufacture heterojunction cells at German sites. The technology became central to the company's post-2020 strategy and its attempt to compete through efficiency and differentiated manufacturing rather than commodity scale alone.
Solar-module interconnection
SmartWire Connection Technology
SmartWire Connection Technology is Meyer Burger's approach to connecting solar cells within a module. It was positioned as a proprietary module-assembly technology intended to improve electrical interconnection and support high-efficiency module designs. The technology formed part of the company's strategic shift toward selling its own cell and module products.
Photovoltaic testing equipment
Pasan testing and measurement systems
Pasan, incorporated into Meyer Burger through the 3S Industries merger, developed testing and measurement equipment for solar cells and modules. Its portfolio included solar simulators used by certification organizations and photovoltaic manufacturers to assess device performance under controlled conditions. The Pasan business was based in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
Silicon wafer processing equipment
Diamond-wire wafer saws
Diamond-wire saws were among Meyer Burger's important historical products for photovoltaic manufacturing. These machines cut silicon ingots into thin wafers used in crystalline-silicon solar cells. The sawing and cutting activity was later sold to Precision Surfacing Solutions in 2019 as part of the company's portfolio realignment.
Brand decisions
2025
Seek insolvency and Chapter 11 protectionOtherBackground
The company's European and U.S. manufacturing operations were reportedly unable to compete effectively with solar panels imported from Asia.
Action taken
Meyer Burger Germany filed for insolvency and halted production; the parent company later filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States.
Aftermath
The filings left the company's ownership, operating structure and ultimate corporate survival unresolved in the available reference material.
Reported bankruptcy filing ranges. Assets of approximately USD 100 million to USD 500 million; liabilities of approximately USD 500 million to USD 1 billion (Chapter 11 filing, June 25, 2025)
2024
Pause Colorado expansion and prioritize ArizonaStrategyBackground
Meyer Burger was reassessing its U.S. manufacturing program while pursuing a larger planned production site in Goodyear, Arizona.
Action taken
The company placed its Colorado factory plans on hold and refocused its U.S. expansion on Arizona.
Aftermath
The Arizona operation subsequently became the focus of the company's U.S. manufacturing effort before being closed in 2025.
2022
Finance expanded solar manufacturingStrategyBackground
The company was scaling German production of heterojunction cells and modules and preparing further expansion.
Action taken
An extraordinary general meeting approved a CHF 250 million capital increase.
Aftermath
The financing was intended to support manufacturing expansion, although the subsequent U.S. and European operations later faced severe financial pressure.
Capital increase. CHF 250 million (Approved October 28, 2022)
2020
Reorient toward proprietary cell and module technologyStrategyBackground
After eight years of losses and a public dispute between the board and major shareholders, Meyer Burger needed a new business model.
Action taken
The company adopted a strategy centered on heterojunction solar cells, SmartWire Connection Technology and its own manufacturing capacity, supported by a CHF 165 million capital increase.
Aftermath
Meyer Burger moved from being primarily an equipment supplier toward becoming a producer of high-efficiency solar cells and modules in Europe and the United States.
Capital increase. CHF 165 million (2020)
2019
Sell the sawing and cutting technology divisionStrategyBackground
Meyer Burger was narrowing its business portfolio and moving away from a broad equipment structure.
Action taken
The sawing and cutting technology division was sold to Precision Surfacing Solutions for CHF 50 million.
Aftermath
The transaction reduced the group's exposure to an important but non-core historical equipment activity and supported its concentration on cell and module technologies.
Sale price. CHF 50 million transaction value (2019)
2010
Merge with 3S IndustriesM&ABackground
Meyer Burger sought to broaden its photovoltaic manufacturing capabilities beyond individual machines and cover more of the module-production and testing chain.
Action taken
The company merged with 3S Industries, bringing the Pasan testing business and other solar production capabilities into the group.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Meyer Burger's solar equipment portfolio and contributed to its acquisition-led growth through the early 2010s.
Recent events
Meyer Burger announces closure of Zülpich production site[3]
Reported:
Meyer Burger announced that it plans to end production at its Zülpich site in Germany by the middle of 2020 and consolidate production at Hohenstein-Ernstthal. Around 60 employees are affected.
Sources3 sources
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