PVTIME – On the evening of 6 February, TCL Zhonghuan and AIKO Solar confirmed in statements that, on that day, their subsidiary, Maxeon Solar, had signed a BC patent licensing agreement with AIKO Solar. Under the agreement, AIKO gains rights to all of Maxeon’s existing and future five-year BC cell and module patents, excluding those in the US, and there will be no reverse licensing. All pending and potential patent disputes will be withdrawn by both parties, with the total licensing fee amounting to 1.65 billion yuan. Both firms emphasised the importance of intellectual property in maintaining a healthy industry: TCL Zhonghuan will collaborate to promote the BC ecosystem, while AIKO intends to transition from a product manufacturer to a technological value definer and protect an industry ecosystem that respects IP.
TCL Zhonghuan’s Statement
China’s photovoltaic (PV) industry is undergoing a profound transformation in its underlying philosophy and strategic direction, shifting from “scale-based competition” to a new era of “value-based competition.” As a global innovation leader committed to long-termism in PV technology, TCL Zhonghuan has consistently upheld a development philosophy of “technology as the foundation, innovation at the core.” Leveraging a forward-looking global vision, we focus on cutting-edge technologies and maintain high R&D investment to build an integrated “R&D-production-IP” innovation system. This drives the industry toward a higher stage of sustainable advancement and strengthens long-term competitiveness with a systematic technological moat.
On February 6, 2026, Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd. (“Maxeon”), a subsidiary of TCL Zhonghuan, announced that it has reached a settlement with Shanghai Aiko Solar Energy Co., Ltd. (“AIKO”) have formally reached a BC patent licensing agreement.
Pursuant to the agreement, AIKO will obtain a license to all of Maxeon’s BC solar cell and module patents outside of the United States, including both existing patents and those to be newly added over the next five years, with no reverse licensing involved. Both parties will fully withdraw and terminate all pending and potential patent disputes between them.
This agreement sets a new paradigm for intellectual property cooperation in BC technology within the PV sector. It marks TCL Zhonghuan’s strategic practice of leading industrial collaboration through an open ecosystem mindset. As an early adopter and continuous innovator in the BC technology pathway, TCL Zhonghuan, along with Maxeon, has built substantial technical expertise and a global patent portfolio in the BC domain. Strengthening global collaboration within the BC supply chain and enhancing ecosystem capabilities to drive ongoing PV technology iteration and green growth is a necessary trend for promoting the healthy development of the industry.
Innovation-driven development and respect for intellectual property are the cornerstones of the industry’s healthy growth. TCL Zhonghuan will remain committed to long-termism and work together with industry partners to accelerate the construction of the BC ecosystem. We aim to lead the industry toward high-quality development, continuously strengthen frontier R&D, foster the commercialization and scenario-based innovation of high-efficiency PV technologies, and jointly explore deeper and broader dimensions of strategic collaboration.
AIKO’s Statement
In active response to national policy initiatives for the photovoltaic industry, including curbing destructive competition, strengthening intellectual property protection, and promoting technological advancement, Shanghai Aiko Solar Energy Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “AIKO”) and Maxeon Solar Technologies, Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Maxeon Solar”) have formally reached a BC patent licensing agreement. Both parties agree that only by jointly building sound industry norms and continuously advancing photovoltaic technology can the industry return to a path of healthy and sustainable development.
Pursuant to the agreement, AIKO will obtain a license to all of Maxeon’s BC solar cell and module patents outside of the United States, including both existing patents and those to be newly added over the next five years, with no reverse licensing involved. Both parties will fully withdraw and terminate all pending and potential patent disputes between them.
AIKO possesses strong independent R&D capabilities in the BC field and has established a comprehensive proprietary intellectual property system. Combined with Maxeon Solar’s long-standing technological accumulation and patent portfolio in BC technology, this agreement enables the formation of a comprehensive and robust patent moat in BC technology. This not only provides strong certainty for large-scale global market deployment, but also opens broader innovation space for the continuous advancement of BC technology.
Going forward, AIKO will leverage industrial collaboration within the BC technology ecosystem and patent licensing models to achieve a strategic transformation from a “product manufacturer” to a “definer of technological value.” The company will help build a healthy industrial order that respects intellectual property and technological innovation, setting a leading example for combating destructive competition and promoting high-quality industry development.
AIKO firmly believes that true innovators not only respect history but above all, focus on creating the future. The company calls on the entire industry to jointly uphold an ecosystem that respects intellectual property and, through genuine technological innovation, work together to accelerate the transformation of human society toward a carbon-free era.
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