Japan's industry ministry will set a goal of introducing next-generation perovskite solar cells by fiscal 2040 as global competition to develop the technology intensifies.

An advisory council drawn from the public and private sectors including cell manufacturers held its first meeting on Wednesday to draw up a roadmap for achieving the goal.

It plans to discuss ways to build mass-production systems and reduce manufacturing costs to help the government to draw up its strategy by autumn.

Perovskite solar cells are considered well-suited to Japan, because they are made with compounds of iodine, which is domestically available.
The cells are light and flexible and can be installed on building walls, an advantage when space is at a premium.