The hot topics in printed electronics

(Nanowerk News) On 3-4 April, IDTechEx is hosting its 8th annual Printed Electronics Europe event in Berlin, Germany. The event focus is on the commercialisation of printed electronics, with adopters from many verticals discussing their needs and experiences.
Also covered in the 100+ speaker conference program are the hottest technology topics. Experts from industry and academia will present their work followed by panel debate and discussion. Sessions include the following topics, reflecting the hottest current topics in the industry.
OLED versus LED lighting
It has taken twenty years for LED lighting to become 3% of the total $80 Billion global lighting market, but it is now on the exponential growth, appearing in car headlights to home lighting to street lighting. What is the impact on OLED lighting? Will those in OLED lighting achieve efficiencies, yield and lifetimes fast enough before LED becomes ingrained? Printing is already being applied to LED lighting for connectors and even printing LEDs themselves. Others are mounting LEDs on flex. But will the thermal problems restrict the applicability of LED lighting on flexible substrates, paving the way for OLED lighting there? Who is investing in OLED lighting manufacturing? Hear the lighting developers debate the topic at this event.
Energy Storage Gold Rush
Battery technology had progressed incredibly slowly over the last 100 years compared to other electronics and electrics. Now the development of energy storage technology has accelerated - due to government stimulus and industry demand for electric vehicles, local energy storage for renewables as part of the smart grid, long life energy storage for consumer electronics, and powering printed electronics components. New form factor batteries are available. Printed materials and laminar films have many opportunities in energy storage - including printed batteries but beyond that to improving conventional batteries, capacitors and supercapacitors - even those that scale up to the sizes of cars. Hear about the market needs, opportunity and technology progress at this event.
Replacing ITO
Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) is still about 95% of the $3.5 billion transparent conductive film market. Indium is subject to supply restriction and its price has varied by a magnitude in the last ten years. It is required primarily for photovoltaics, displays and touch screen applications - enormous sectors. Alternatives to ITO include transparent organic materials, finely printed conductive mesh, and other ways of patterning metal strands. Some even use copper to reduce cost. Others are progressing carbon nanotubes and grapheme as a viable alternative. Do all these choices have a market and what is their opportunity? Contrast the specifications - including hearing from those using ITO - to piece together the opportunity at this event.
These are just some of the highlighted topics that will be aired at the IDTechEx Printed Electronics Europe event. Register by February 8th and save 40% - go to www.IDTechEx.com/peEurope. Attendees will hear from some of the World's largest organisations including:
  • United Technologies Research Center - $52 Billion Aerospace/Infrastructure
  • Procter & Gamble - $82 Billion Consumer Brands
  • Metro Stores - €67 Billion Consumer Goods Retailer
  • Schneider Electric - €20 Billion Electrics/Electronics
  • Samsung - $220 Billion Consumer Electronics
  • Nokia - €42 Billion Consumer Electronics
  • Panasonic - €83 Billion Consumer Electronics
  • Sony - $87 Billion Consumer Electronics
  • Source: By Raghu Das, CEO, IDTechEx