David Savastano, Editor03.01.16
As flexible and printed electronics makes further entry into the market, more companies are becoming interested in the possibilities that the technology offers. LOPEC, the international exhibition and conference for the printed electronics industry, will open its doors to researchers, material manufacturers, developers and users of printed electronics for the eighth time in Munich, Germany, from April 5-7, 2016.
More than 140 companies will be exhibiting at this year’s event, around half of them are coming from outside of Germany. Meanwhile, the OE-A, the organizers of LOPEC, expects more than 2,000 visitors to the exhibition and the conference, which will feature 200 talks divided into the Scientific, Technical, and Business Conferences.
“For printed and organic electronics to evolve further, interdisciplinary partnerships and exchange across every level of the value chain are crucial,” said Wolfgang Mildner, general chair of LOPEC. “This is why LOPEC is aimed at all market players, thereby bridging the gap between developers, manufacturers, and users of printed electronics.”
The Plenary sessions offer an impressive array of speakers, many of whom are from major brands. These speakers include:
• Dr. Werner Thomas of Audi AG – “OLED Technology in Automotive Lighting.”
• Dr. Ikuzo Ogawa,managing executive officer of Sumitomo Chemical – “Printed Electronics Materials and Their Applications.”
• Burkhard Dümler, director program & projects/IT innovation for adidas group – “Wearables Grown Up – Status Quo.”
• Dr. Xiolin Yan, CTO and SVP, TCL Corporation Ltd. – “Mainland China Display Industry Technology Now and Future.”
• Steven Nietvelt, chief innovation and marketing officer for Cartamundi – “5000 Years Long We’ve Been Playing (Board) Games Together, What’s Next?”
• Prof. Henning Sirringhaus, University of Cambridge, Cavendish Laboratory – “Low-Temperature Organic and Oxide Transistors Enabling Flexible Electronics.”
• Prof. Jun Takeya, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo – “Technology Development for Printed Digital/Analogue Circuits Based on Organic Semiconductors.”
As for the exhibition, the focus of the LOPEC Exhibition will be on the automotive industry, consumer electronics and wearable technology. Visitors to the upcoming LOPEC Exhibition will see several smart, wearable electronics products as well as key raw materials.
“The OE-A stand will show several exciting and innovative demonstrators of different OE-A members who participate in the OE-A Competition 2016. From visions to concrete prototypes and products, they all contain organic and printed electronics,” said Thomas Kolbusch, LOPEC exhibition chair and member of the OE-A Board.
In addition, covering an area of 90 square meters, this year’s LOPEC Demo Line will present an example of interactive packaging in the form of a cube that will be produced live at the venue. When voltage is applied to this cube, it will display illuminated text or a logo. Several thin layers of conductive and electroluminescent material will be printed onto plastic film or special paper and then encapsulated, allowing luminous patterns and lines.
“LOPEC is the only exhibition in the industry that offers its visitors live production of this kind. Over a dozen companies from the OE-A, covering the entire value chain of printed electronics, are working together on this project. Guided tours of the Demo Line will also be available,” Kolbusch added.
LOPEC has continued to evolve, adding new programs to benefit attendees. One of the new sessions of the 2016 LOPEC Conference are “Technological Challenges of Printed Electronics Applications,” where the integration – both possibilities and challenges – of printed electronics in packaging, Internet of Things (IoT), medical devices and wearables will be addressed.
Another interesting new session will be “Smart and Hybrid Systems,” Here, topics such as the technical challenges of system integration in printed electronics and in what way simple objects can be turned into “smart” objects will be raised.
There will also be a panel discussion with expert speakers representing the printed and organic electronics value chain. Under the title “Adding Value: Identifying First Commercial Applications for Printed and Organic Electronics,” the roundtable will cover the key issues determining how the emerging technology can succeed as well as what the prime market opportunities in areas such as consumer electronics, automotive, and wearables are.
“LOPEC not only aims to ensure that existing market players are up-to-date with the latest technological developments, but also focuses on the development of ideas for the next generation of electronic devices,” said Mildner. “However, there is also a conscious effort to address newcomers to the industry and help them identify potential applications for printed electronics within their sector.”
Printed electronics is already established in a number of industries, but it is also still in the midst of an upswing. This year’s LOPEC focuses on the automotive industry and consumer electronics, including wearables.
“These sectors are currently two of the most emergent areas of application for printed and organic electronics. According to experts, this technology of tomorrow will significantly increase in both importance and use,” explained Dr Klaus Hecker, managing director of the OE-A.
Printing processes are becoming increasingly prevalent in the production of smart electronic components.
“With annual growth rates of around 20%, printed and organic electronics truly are a market of the future,” Hecker added. “LOPEC represents the entire value chain. It showcases new systems and printing materials, as well as printed electronics components which were mere concepts just a few years ago and are now already finding their way into our everyday lives.”
Products featuring printed electronics are becoming increasingly common in consumer electronics. Standout products in this area include wearables, or items of clothing and accessories with integrated electronic functionality. Here, the properties of printed electronics have facilitated their use and supported the market trend for ever smaller, more flexible applications.
“This year, we are returning our focus to the cross-sector trend topic of wearables,” Mildner added. “Wearable electronics can be found in watches, fitness equipment, clothing with sensors and a number of other applications that have to be lightweight, thin and flexible.”
For more information on LOPEC, visit www.lopec.com.
More than 140 companies will be exhibiting at this year’s event, around half of them are coming from outside of Germany. Meanwhile, the OE-A, the organizers of LOPEC, expects more than 2,000 visitors to the exhibition and the conference, which will feature 200 talks divided into the Scientific, Technical, and Business Conferences.
“For printed and organic electronics to evolve further, interdisciplinary partnerships and exchange across every level of the value chain are crucial,” said Wolfgang Mildner, general chair of LOPEC. “This is why LOPEC is aimed at all market players, thereby bridging the gap between developers, manufacturers, and users of printed electronics.”
The Plenary sessions offer an impressive array of speakers, many of whom are from major brands. These speakers include:
• Dr. Werner Thomas of Audi AG – “OLED Technology in Automotive Lighting.”
• Dr. Ikuzo Ogawa,managing executive officer of Sumitomo Chemical – “Printed Electronics Materials and Their Applications.”
• Burkhard Dümler, director program & projects/IT innovation for adidas group – “Wearables Grown Up – Status Quo.”
• Dr. Xiolin Yan, CTO and SVP, TCL Corporation Ltd. – “Mainland China Display Industry Technology Now and Future.”
• Steven Nietvelt, chief innovation and marketing officer for Cartamundi – “5000 Years Long We’ve Been Playing (Board) Games Together, What’s Next?”
• Prof. Henning Sirringhaus, University of Cambridge, Cavendish Laboratory – “Low-Temperature Organic and Oxide Transistors Enabling Flexible Electronics.”
• Prof. Jun Takeya, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo – “Technology Development for Printed Digital/Analogue Circuits Based on Organic Semiconductors.”
As for the exhibition, the focus of the LOPEC Exhibition will be on the automotive industry, consumer electronics and wearable technology. Visitors to the upcoming LOPEC Exhibition will see several smart, wearable electronics products as well as key raw materials.
“The OE-A stand will show several exciting and innovative demonstrators of different OE-A members who participate in the OE-A Competition 2016. From visions to concrete prototypes and products, they all contain organic and printed electronics,” said Thomas Kolbusch, LOPEC exhibition chair and member of the OE-A Board.
In addition, covering an area of 90 square meters, this year’s LOPEC Demo Line will present an example of interactive packaging in the form of a cube that will be produced live at the venue. When voltage is applied to this cube, it will display illuminated text or a logo. Several thin layers of conductive and electroluminescent material will be printed onto plastic film or special paper and then encapsulated, allowing luminous patterns and lines.
“LOPEC is the only exhibition in the industry that offers its visitors live production of this kind. Over a dozen companies from the OE-A, covering the entire value chain of printed electronics, are working together on this project. Guided tours of the Demo Line will also be available,” Kolbusch added.
LOPEC has continued to evolve, adding new programs to benefit attendees. One of the new sessions of the 2016 LOPEC Conference are “Technological Challenges of Printed Electronics Applications,” where the integration – both possibilities and challenges – of printed electronics in packaging, Internet of Things (IoT), medical devices and wearables will be addressed.
Another interesting new session will be “Smart and Hybrid Systems,” Here, topics such as the technical challenges of system integration in printed electronics and in what way simple objects can be turned into “smart” objects will be raised.
There will also be a panel discussion with expert speakers representing the printed and organic electronics value chain. Under the title “Adding Value: Identifying First Commercial Applications for Printed and Organic Electronics,” the roundtable will cover the key issues determining how the emerging technology can succeed as well as what the prime market opportunities in areas such as consumer electronics, automotive, and wearables are.
“LOPEC not only aims to ensure that existing market players are up-to-date with the latest technological developments, but also focuses on the development of ideas for the next generation of electronic devices,” said Mildner. “However, there is also a conscious effort to address newcomers to the industry and help them identify potential applications for printed electronics within their sector.”
Printed electronics is already established in a number of industries, but it is also still in the midst of an upswing. This year’s LOPEC focuses on the automotive industry and consumer electronics, including wearables.
“These sectors are currently two of the most emergent areas of application for printed and organic electronics. According to experts, this technology of tomorrow will significantly increase in both importance and use,” explained Dr Klaus Hecker, managing director of the OE-A.
Printing processes are becoming increasingly prevalent in the production of smart electronic components.
“With annual growth rates of around 20%, printed and organic electronics truly are a market of the future,” Hecker added. “LOPEC represents the entire value chain. It showcases new systems and printing materials, as well as printed electronics components which were mere concepts just a few years ago and are now already finding their way into our everyday lives.”
Products featuring printed electronics are becoming increasingly common in consumer electronics. Standout products in this area include wearables, or items of clothing and accessories with integrated electronic functionality. Here, the properties of printed electronics have facilitated their use and supported the market trend for ever smaller, more flexible applications.
“This year, we are returning our focus to the cross-sector trend topic of wearables,” Mildner added. “Wearable electronics can be found in watches, fitness equipment, clothing with sensors and a number of other applications that have to be lightweight, thin and flexible.”
For more information on LOPEC, visit www.lopec.com.