Accelerating sustainable development and production of nanomaterials and printed electronics

Abstract

Printed and embedded electronics are considered game changing for electronics industry, and various R&D groups worldwide have already achieved remarkable progress. In the EU, limited access to these developments for industry and businesses still hampers wide rollout. Additionally, technology evaluation is often strictly focused on performance, i.e. whether technical functionalities meet specified requirements. For multiple reasons, a more holistic evaluation could contribute to more sustainable innovation. The EU-funded LEE-BED project has therefore created an open innovation test bed for printed electronics (PE), offering a time-efficient three-step process accessible via an online single entry point for easy involvement. The approach fosters evaluating ideas, developing prototypes, and transferring knowledge to interested parties from SMEs to global OEMs with or without previous involvement with PE. The first step (LEE-BED Phase 1) includes a multi-dimensional assessment of technical feasibility, economic viability, environmental sustainability, safety, and intellectual property before developing any prototype. This has successfully been applied to industry partners from construction, automotive, labelling, and luxury brands, offering novel functionalities and additional aesthetics through PE in their business practices. In this way, LEE-BED has established a collaborative platform for PE innovation sharing key learnings and opportunities.