Flexible and printed electronics at LOPEC 2024

It makes life easier for seriously ill patients, is indispensable for the mobility transition, and allows us to immerse ourselves even deeper in the metaverse: Printed electronics is both a key and a cross-sectional technology, as this year’s LOPEC will demonstrate with numerous applications and presentations.

The health sector in particular benefits from the possibilities offered by ultra-thin, lightweight, and flexible electronic components. LOPEC exhibitor Covestro, for instance, will be presenting wearable patches that wirelessly monitor a wide range of vital signs. The company has now even developed a sensor that registers moisture on an artificial stoma, making everyday life easier for those affected. Beneli from Sweden will be showing stretchable smart patches with embedded electronics that adhere securely over a long period of time, and even during movement, and measure the patient’s heart rate and temperature, for example. The sensor socks from Metafas in the Netherlands, in turn, support the care of people with health impairments who have difficulty expressing their needs. They detect stress by measuring skin conductance.

Printed sensors for e-mobility and the metaverse

LOPEC highlights in the mobility sector include sensor systems for electric cars. Printed sensors monitor the temperature and pressure conditions in battery stacks, allowing cell-friendly and faster charging cycles to be developed. In battery balancing, sensors record the voltage level of the various cells to increase the performance and service life of the batteries. Products and information on printed electronics in e-mobility are available at LOPEC from sensor specialists such as IEE and InnovationLab, as well as Celanese, Heraeus, and other material manufacturers. Anyone who wants to immerse themselves in the metaverse without a bulky remote control should also visit the Heraeus stand. Together with the Japanese start-up AI Silk, the company has developed a haptic glove with finger-bending sensors and control buttons that makes virtual touch perceptible, and also serves as a controller.

Focus on sustainability

As more and more products contain electronic components, issues about sustainability, recycling, and circular economy inevitably arise. Industry representatives and scientists from the U.S., Finland, Belgium, Switzerland, and Germany will address these aspects at the LOPEC Round Table on “Sustainability, circularity, and printed electronics” at the LOPEC Forum (March 6, from 3 to 4 p.m. at the ICM Foyer). Many young companies are also working on solutions for a sustainable future. They will present their business ideas in ten-minute pitches at the LOPEC Start-up Competition. The best business ideas will be honoured in two categories at the Award Show evening during the LOPEC Get-together on March 6. All exhibitors, trade fair visitors, and conference participants are invited to attend.

LOPEC Conference: industry meets science

The new Open Plenary Session, a plenary lecture given by Dr. Alain Schumacher, CTO at sensor manufacturer IEE, is as well free for all interested visitors (March 6, 8 a.m., LOPEC Forum at the ICM Foyer). Entitled “Printed Electronics – Products, Trends and Facts for a Sustainable Future”, it highlights the range of sustainable applications for printed electronics. The other plenary sessions which are part of the LOPEC Conference requiring an extra ticket, will also focus on the current challenges of our time. Karine Benbelaid, Global Segment Head Medical at Covestro, will discuss the circularity of medical technology components (March 5, 9 a.m.). Dr. Petra Severit, CTO at the specialty chemical company Altana, will describe how global megatrends – from digitalisation and the mobility transition to the transformation of our economy – can be successfully shaped using printed electronics (March 6, 9 a.m.). Another highlight of the LOPEC Conference will be the plenary lecture by Dr. Hiroki Maeda (March 7, 9 a.m.). As a representative of Dai Nippon Printing (DNP), one of the world’s largest printing companies based in Shinjuku, Japan, he will discuss printed electronics for next-generation telecommunications.

Alongside other speakers from the industry, scientists from all over the world will present their latest findings. It’s worth taking a look at the program since the three-day LOPEC Conference, with its synthesis of research and business, is the ideal complement to the trade fair.