By Dr Jack Howley, Technology Analyst at IDTechEx

Electrification, autonomy, and vehicle ownership saturation are causing a technological revolution in the automotive sector. These automotive meta-trends are driving drastic changes in electronic component requirements and present a high-volume opportunity for printed electronics to capitalize on.

The embedded world Exhibition & Conference 2024 will take place in the Nuremberg trade fair center from April 9 to 11. Developers, engineers, experts and suppliers from all over the world come together to experience innovations and trends in the fields of embedded systems, IoT (Internet of Things) and industrial automation, as well as related technology fields.

The demand for sustainable product ideas has grown significantly, as this year's OE-A Competition clearly shows. The winners of the annual flexible and printed electronics competition and the “LOPEC Start-Up Competition” were announced at LOPEC 2024.
The range of submissions in this OE-A Competition 2024 was wide: From energy-autonomous sensors for tires to muscle sensors for exoskeletons to a fully printed flexible printed circuit board. Companies and institutes from all over the world submitted their latest visions and products in the field of flexible, organic and printed electronics for the OE-A Competition 2024, organized annually by the Organic and Printed Electronics Association (OE-A), a working group within VDMA.

Mitsubishi Electric, a leading provider of contact image sensors (CIS), and Koenig & Bauer, a pioneer in industrial print applications and inline machine vision systems for various applications, signed a letter of intent for their future cooperation. The aim of the strategic partnership is to combine the strengths of both companies in order to offer standardized, high quality machine vision components to the field of electrode foil production for battery cells.

The “OE-A Competition 2024” shows the many possibilities of flexible, organic, and printed electronics with inspiring products, prototypes, and fresh designs live at LOPEC 2024, the leading international exhibition and conference for flexible, organic, and printed electronics in Munich.
"This year's OE-A Competition impressively demonstrates how printed electronics is the technology to create sustainable electronics through low- energy non-hazardous chemicals, additive manufacturing processes and the use of recyclable materials.” says Dr. Klaus Hecker, Managing Director of the OE-A, an international working group within VDMA. The OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association) is the leading international industry association for the emerging technology of flexible, organic, and printed electronics.

Automation, efficiency and sustainability - these are the areas in which BST GmbH offers manufacturers of flexible, organic and printed electronics decisive competitive advantages. The company's portfolio of cross-process and cross-industry system solutions for quality assurance in web-processing industries increases plant efficiency and reduces waste.

Leading global inks, pigments, and specialty chemicals manufacturer, Sun Chemical, is set to present its innovative electronic materials solutions at the upcoming LOPEC 2024 conference in Munich, Germany (5th – 7th March).

Komori Corporation (Sumida-ku, Tokyo, President and CEO: Satoshi Mochida; hereinafter Komori) has established the Printed Electronics Elemental Technology Development Center (PEDEC) on the premises of the Tsukuba Plant in order to develop elemental technologies for Printed Electronics (PE).

At the opening of the Productronica international trade fair in Munich, MGI Digital Technology and Altix announce a strategic technological partnership, and the launch of the AltiJet, an industrial inkjet production press for the printed circuit board market. This digital press, designed to apply Solder Mask and Etch Resist, is a genuine breakthrough innovation in a market largely dominated by conventional processes.

The SentiSock, manufactured by Metafas on behalf of healthcare technology company Mentech, helps with early stress recognition in the disability and elderly care sector. This advanced sock is designed to detect stress early by measuring physiological parameters, such as skin conductance, heart rate and movement. In combination with artificial intelligence, the SentiSock provides caregivers with a valuable tool to better understand and manage otherwise unintelligible behaviour in patients.

Establishment of Printed Electronics Elemental Technology Development Center (PEDEC) at Tsukuba Plant
Komori views the printed electronics business as a growth business. PEDEC was established to build a foundation for the development of elemental technologies and to create technological competitiveness to respond to the rapid evolution of the electronics industry.

A Deep Dive into the Growth of PCB, Flexible PCBs, and Sensors

By Afnan Islan, Vice President, BotFactory, Inc.

Printed Circuit Boards (PCBs) are the backbone of modern electronics, enabling the functionality of various devices. This blog post explores the multifaceted world of PCBs, highlighting their applications, growth trends, government initiatives, additive manufacturing's role, and Botfactory's strategic positioning.