LOPEC 2021 Online: Flexible and printed electronics continues its course for success
14 April 2021: From March 23-25, LOPEC was held as an online event. In 180 contributions, the speakers of the digital Conference and more than 70 companies at the online exhibition presented groundbreaking developments in printed electronics. Numerous user industries, such as the automotive, textile and entertainment sectors, are drawing on the potential of this technology. In the medical and pharmaceuticals sectors, in particular, a tremendous surge in development became evident.
Following the three-day online event, Messe München Managing Director Falk Senger gave a positive summary “Participation of more than 70 exhibitors and 1,300 international attendees at LOPEC 2021 demonstrated the importance of a digital meeting point for the industry this year. We are pleased that the online format was so well received.” Dr. Klaus Hecker, Managing Director of OE-A, is also very satisfied with the results “Following a decline in sales last year, the printed electronics industry is now very optimistic about the future. This confident mood and the desire for exchange and continued development was also reflected at this year’s LOPEC. I was particularly impressed by the developments in the medical and pharmaceuticals sectors.”
Wearable electronics conquers the world – Lightweight, robust, flexible: Various industry sectors rely on organic and printed electronics because of these properties. The digital Conference and the online exhibition provided the setting for the presentation of numerous new developments in connection with the focus topic Smart Living, from ultra-thin sensors to smart textiles to building-integrated photovoltaics. In the medical sector, the focus is particularly on sensors for monitoring systems that are worn on the skin like band-aids. Prof. John A. Rogers of Northwestern University elaborated on the benefits of the technology in his plenary lecture “Thanks to its properties, printed electronics is compatible with the soft, curved, and dynamic surfaces of the human body. In close contact with the skin, they form an ideal interface for diagnostics and therapies.”
Further applications and products in the field of medical sensor technology were presented by exhibitors including Brewer Science, Henkel, IEE and Quad. Moreover, Evonik, in collaboration with InnovationLab, presented a sustainable battery concept. With printed batteries, sensors can be worn on the skin even more comfortably.““Strong influence on mobility transformation“The automotive industry also relies heavily on printed electronics. Due to their properties including low weight, printed sensors play a major role in the growing e-mobile sector for battery management and temperature measurement applications. Another trend topic: curved, large displays spanning the entire dashboard as well as the functionalization of surfaces through touch sensors. Conference presentations, including those from Heraeus, MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, Novares und TactoTek, focused on the topics of 3D structural electronics and additive manufacturing.
The next LOPEC will take place from March 22 to 24, 2022 in Munich.
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