Creating Clusters for Organic Electronic Technology

Background

Organic electronics is an emerging technology that opens up a host of design opportunities and will lead to the creation of a range of future electronic applications in key market sectors such as print and packaging, healthcare, construction, automotive and aerospace. The ability to develop flexible form factors increases the freedom for designers to embed technology and functionality into their products, creating the opportunity for new, innovative components that are wireless, smarter, interactive, conformable, thinner, lightweight, and rugged, and which are able to blend more easily into the surrounding environment.

This new way of manufacturing electronics will give rise to a wide range of novel applications such as flexible displays for mobile devices, smart therapeutic bandages for managing and monitoring recovery of wounds, wearable electronics for monitoring and improving performance, wireless medical devices for rapid diagnostics using printed sensors, conformable lighting, and intelligent packaging for consumer goods and industrial products, to name but a few.

The organic and large are electronics (OLAE) market is expected to grow rapidly, with leading forecasters predicting a worldwide industry worth up to $96 bn by 2020.

About

The COLAE programme was a collaboration between Europe’s leading OLAE organisations.

COLAE was created to enhance the design process throughout the industry and to get all universities in the field to work alongside the research institutes with a view beyond research towards commercialisation. The collaboration allowed Europe to remain at the forefront of this key technology area, whilst driving future advancements in highly lucrative markets.

Achievements

COLAE provided European organisations access to an unparalleled knowledge base and the know-how to implement printable electronics technology.

COLAE has harnessed the resources and expertise of its project partners and made it available to the existing organic electronics industry and new organisations entering the market. Members experienced high quality training, workshops and feasibility support alongside access to the best pilot production and manufacturing facilities in Europe.

The project connected players within the industry to create and develop a pan-European supply chain that delivered tangible value and benefits for its members. The COLAE project also engaged a number of end users for further collaborative research and development projects.

Partners

• Centre for Process Innovation (UK)
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
• Cambridge Integrated Knowledge Centre, University of Cambridge (UK)
• Ghent University – Department of Textiles (Belgium)
• Centre for Nanotechnology and Smart Materials (Portugal)
• Holst Centre (Netherlands)
• CSEM Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology — Research and Development (Switzerland)
• InnovationFab Key Management Consult B.V. (The Netherlands) 
• InnovationLab GmbH (Germany)
• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece)
• Joanneum Research (Austria)
• Cetemmsa Technology Centre (Spain)
• Acreo (Sweden)
• Plastipolis (France)
• Commission for Atomic Energy and Alternative Energy (Spain)
• Organic Electronics Saxony (Germany)
• Fraunhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research (Germany)
• NanoTecCenter Weiz GmbH (Austria)