Whether automotive, medical technology or photovoltaics: printed electronics drive innovations in various industries. This variety is reflected in the OPEC Conference which will feature nearly 200 presentations.
“With the broad program, we invite people to see the big picture,” said Wolfgang Mildner, general chairman of the LOPEC conference and CEO of consulting and technology firm MSWtech. “Everyone involved is looking forward to the face-to-face event and direct feedback from the community.”
In their plenary speeches, Professor Ronald Dekker, Principal Investigator at Philips, and Dr. Guido van Tartwijk, CEO of Heliatek, will present application examples. They will look at smart medical technology and organic sunscreen films. In addition, Rainer Hundsdörfer, President of Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, and Dr. Michael Heckmeier, EVP of Merck, will speak at the plenary session.
The LOPEC business conference will also focus on industry-relevant aspects. PolyIC’s Dr. Wolfgang Clemens will describe the market opportunities offered by printed touch sensors that companies such as Volkswagen and home appliance maker BSH are integrating into their products. Presentations at the technical conference will also have a practical focus.
There’s no shortage of ideas for innovation, for example when Pete Valianatos of US company E Ink explains how a technique found in e-book readers can allow car bodies to change color at the press of a button.
Insights from research
Scientific highlights will include plenary speeches by Professor Luisa Torsi, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Bari, Italy, and Professor Elizabeth von Hauff, Director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Organic Electronics, Beams of electrons and plasma technology.
Luisa Torsi, expert in organic electronics and winner of the Wilhelm Exner Medal in 2021, will present ultra-sensitive biosensors which, among other things, can be used for the early detection of cancer. Elizabeth von Hauff will focus on flexible electronics. His presentation will give an overview of the processes for depositing functional layers on flexible substrates.
The LOPEC Scientific Conference will present other research highlights. Keynote speakers who will successfully bridge the gap between science and applications will include Japanese physicist, Professor Tsuyoshi Sekitani of Osaka University. He has developed flexible nano-electronic systems that are already certified for use in medicine.
Focus on sustainability
As always, the LOPEC Conference will be aimed at industry experts and newcomers alike. The short courses on the first day of the conference provide an ideal introduction. This year, they will be supplemented by a seminar led by Kévin Le Blévennec from the Belgian research institute VITO. Entitled “Design for Sustainability”, the seminar will guide visitors through the different stages of developing a sustainable product.
In his speech to the plenary, Dr Henri Rajbenbach from the European Commission will highlight that politicians have recognized the potential for sustainability offered by printed electronics. The “Circular Economy and Green Electronics” session on March 24 will delve deeper into the topic with presentations on environmental footprints, biodegradability and recycling of printed electronics.
