The company said it would pay¤4 million ($5.2 million) for a 67.5% stake in a joint venture with Sweden's Solibro and a further¤20 million towards the achievement of technological milestones.
Bigger rival Sharp has also been moving towards producing more thin-film solar panels in order to lower costs.
Solar companies use multicrystalline silicon, the ingredient that transforms energy from the sun into electricity.
