Flexible, printed and hybrid electronics are expanding their reach into commercial markets, and sensors, wearables, smart packaging, in-mold electronics and other applications are quickly becoming more mainstream. LOPEC 2020, organized by the OE-A, will be held from March 24-26 at Messe Munich, and the show’s growth confirms the rise of the flexible and printed electronics field.

OE-A’s managing director Dr. Klaus Hecker anticipates that this year’s LOPEC will be among the largest yet, adding that the latest wave of new products is a good sign for the industry.

“We are very pleased with the booking numbers of the exhibition and the growth of the exhibition space,” Dr. Hecker noted. “We also expect a further increase in attendees. This shows that LOPEC is further strengthening its role as an important marketplace for the flexible and printed electronics industry.”

Dr. Hecker also pointed to the rising number of commercial introductions that we have seen in recent months.

“Another very positive fact is that we have seen numerous product launches in particular in the automotive industry during the last six months, and we will see a lot of attendees from end-user industries such as automotive, consumer electronics, sports and medical, to name a few,” he added.

This year, the focus will be on Smart Living & Mobility. Dr. Hecker said there should be numerous highlights this year, from the plenary session and 200 presentations to the innovation showcase and the Demo Line.

“Highlights will be plenary presentations on flexible, printed OLEDs, medical or automotive applications, as well the combination of printed electronics and additive manufacturing,” Dr. Hecker reported. “In total, we will have 200 high-level presentations.

“At the exhibition, besides various product launches by exhibitors, we will again have an innovation showcase including a segmented OLED backlight from Audi,” he added. “We will present more than 20 products and demonstrators from our OE-A competition. Other highlights of LOPEC are the Demo line, several panel discussions, and the Start-up Forum. OE-A will also present the new OE-A Roadmap for Organic and Printed Electronics at LOPEC.”

As always, LOPEC 2020 will feature a wide-ranging lineup of presenters, a mix of end-users, flexible electronics manufacturers, equipment and material suppliers and researchers. The Plenary sessions should bring the growth of the industry into focus.

The opening day, March 24, features Short Courses and the Business Conference. There will be a Plenary Session beginning with an introduction by LOPEC chair Wolfgang Mildner, founder and CEO of MSW, and a Plenary talk by Robert Weiss, VVP technology and innovation management, Schreiner Group GmbH&Co KG, who will cover “Challenges in the Commercialization of Printed Electronics.”

The March 25 program will open with an Open Plenary Session featuring Stan Farnsworth, chief marketing officer, NovaCentrix, who will discuss “Identifying and Navigating Through Opportunities in Flexible and Hybrid Electronics.”

The regular Plenary session starts with an introduction by Mildner. The first talk will be a joint presentation by Dr. Stijn Gillissen, Henkel AG und Co. KgaA, and Dr. Wim Christiaen, R&D director for Quad Industries, who will discuss “Printed Electronics – A Technology Platform Enabling Wearable Health Solutions.”

From there, Dr. Xiolin Yan, CTO and SVP of TCL Corporation Ltd., is up next with a talk on “Flexible Printed Display Technology: Opportunities & Challenges.” Marina Toeters, a designer in fashion technology, will close the Plenary session with “Unfolding Fashion Tech.”

On March 26, the Plenary session will feature three talks of note. After Mildner offers his welcome, Northwestern University Prof. John A. Rogers will discuss “Soft Electronic and Microfluidic Systems for the Skin.” Dr. IEE S.A. CTO Dr. Alain Schumacher will follow with “From Start-Up To Global Player With Printed Electronics.” The session will close with Dr. Holger Becker, chief scientific officer, microfluidic ChipShop GmbH, with a presentation on “Microfluidics – How Printed Electronics Can Support a Revolution in the Life Sciences.”

“This year for the first time we will have an open plenary session, on Wednesday morning, 8 a.m., which is open also to visitors of the exhibition,” Dr. Hecker noted. “Here, Stan Farnsworth of NovaCentrix will be ‘Identifying and Navigating Through Opportunities in Flexible and Hybrid Electronics.’ The is a new format to connect visitors to the exhibition at the conference. With the Business, Technical and Scientific Conference, we cover the full spectrum of this broad industry.”

LOPEC 2020 Conference consists of three conference sessions: Business, Technical and Scientific. The Business session will be held Tuesday, March 24, while the Technical and Scientific sessions, which will each include two concurrent tracks, will be held Wednesday, March 25, and Thursday, March 26.

The Business Conference has some intriguing speakers, including Rafael Michalczuk, senior technology & funding manager, Swarovski, who will discuss “Opportunities and Challenges of Printed Electronics – The Perspective of a Crystal Manufacturer.”

The topics for the Technical Conference include segments on Publicly Funded Projects; Flexible and Large-Area Displays; 3D Structural Electronics; Substrates and Encapsulation; Smart and Hybrid Systems; Functional Materials; Lighting; Smart Textiles; Wearables Electronics; Upscaling Production and Manufacturing Processes; Energy; Smart and Hybrid Systems; Human Machine Interfaces (HMI); and Biomedical Applications.

The Scientific Conference will include five sessions on Devices; four sessions on Materials; and three sessions on Processes.

For more information on LOPEC 2020, visit www.lopec.com.