National Printable Electronics Centre
A state-of-the-art facility accelerating the commercialisation of printed and flexible electronic products.
![A photo of people working on large equipment in a CPI cleanroom A photo of people working on large equipment in a CPI cleanroom](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/lace-line.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559214037&s=36347b0a76cab5ab91f72c62315dbb57 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/lace-line.jpg?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559214037&s=0520102ca2775ba087d54ec74e658ace 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/lace-line.jpg?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559214037&s=4772f85ef044334d2323a6ca805f2cfc 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/lace-line.jpg?w=1600&h=900&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559214037&s=4befd8f90f3a3479e1210258f64ad7d0 1600w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/lace-line.jpg?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559214037&s=17387851d7d8fb0b964d565de99b8ec7 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/lace-line.jpg?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559214037&s=233cb4ed6dac50227664b530acdc064c 960w)
Driving innovation forward
The National Printable Electronics Centre accelerates the commercialisation of printed and flexible electronic products. Based in County Durham, the centre provides an environment where companies can test and develop concepts for electronics materials, components and hardware and develop the processes to make them manufacturable. We support innovators by helping them navigate through the challenges of product and process scale up, and bring their product to market quickly.
![A photo of a person holding a flexible substrate to be used for printing electronics A photo of a person holding a flexible substrate to be used for printing electronics](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/pe-substrate.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559212279&s=3180b78f2024dc554adbbee4012e83ff 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/pe-substrate.jpg?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559212279&s=db19662d9cb8e6cb7a330b064f24d470 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/pe-substrate.jpg?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559212279&s=d6f8b640c56770c76f4a7ae8bc84add5 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/pe-substrate.jpg?w=1600&h=900&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559212279&s=9cf49b87e2d388a13fda7308c010b0c2 1600w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/pe-substrate.jpg?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559212279&s=0696aef9a5262d3a6d728ce3fc7da35f 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/pe-substrate.jpg?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559212279&s=35043de586f28adcacc26f85e9aca2e8 960w)
The future is bright, and bendy
Printable electronics have applications across a range of markets including print and packaging, consumer electronics, logistics and medtech. Using flexible or freeform substrates opens up flexibility of design as well as physical products. Printed electronics allow electronic functionality to be embedded into areas where conventional electronics just won’t fit. Applications include smart labels for track and trace, condition monitoring and authentication, sensors for condition or performance monitoring, wearables and diagnostics and novel lighting and display solutions. Manufacture of these products presents unique challenges in process development and scale up. CPI provides facilities and expertise to overcome these challenges.
![A photo of people working on the large area coating equipment line at CPI A photo of people working on the large area coating equipment line at CPI](https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/lace-line-2.jpg?w=1920&h=1080&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559214046&s=88b1255f72750fdd3d7dff32bb431a8c 1920w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/lace-line-2.jpg?w=1120&h=630&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559214046&s=35f00235a5467434d3f2575d7840f180 1120w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/lace-line-2.jpg?w=800&h=450&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559214046&s=278a7ff5760b7a96990b4b5800608446 800w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/lace-line-2.jpg?w=1600&h=900&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559214046&s=7a522e9edce1f79e127b1c01b9a0f770 1600w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/lace-line-2.jpg?w=480&h=270&q=60&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559214046&s=d72ab1c02edd17cc54c30e1e9915a54e 480w, https://optimise2.assets-servd.host/smart-hoopoe/production/content/images/lace-line-2.jpg?w=960&h=540&q=45&fm=jpg&fit=crop&dm=1559214046&s=871f730cdc1b4d6203a4765e199ab31c 960w)
What the centre offers
The facilities at the National Printable Electronics Centre include over 1500m2 of cleanroom, laboratory and manufacturing space, along with extensive and unique equipment and world leading expertise. The services provided include circuit design, characterisation and assessment of the performance of printed electronic components and circuits. The range of expertise and equipment on offer allows testing, prototyping and pilot manufacturing to be carried out confidently in one facility, improving speed to market and reducing the risk and costs associated with commercialisation.