Printed electronics (PE) is making further inroads into the marketplace, and end users are looking at ways PE can be used with their products. Printed Electronics USA 2013, organized by IDTechEx and running Nov. 20-21 at the Santa Clara Convention Center, Santa Clara, CA, will focus on the commercialization of PE and look at the latest technology, with more than 200 presentations scheduled.

Raghu Das, IDTechEx’s CEO, said that working with end users is critical to the ultimate success of printed electronics, and PE USA 2013 will feature many industry leaders who can offer their perspectives on PE.

“Our primary focus of the event is to help users understand the state of play and how they can use printed electronics,” said Das. “To that end, we feature some of the world’s largest user companies, addressing their needs and case studies with the technology, including Johnson & Johnson, Colgate Palmolive, P&G, NASA, Autodesk, OSRAM, Oxylane, Chrysler, Microsoft and many others.

“In addition, we feature companies discussing the state-of-the-art in the full range of components, from the usual displays, logic, sensors, power to emerging topics such as 3D printing, stretchable electronics, supercapacitors, smart packaging, wireless power transfer, the Internet of Things and much more,” Das added.

“With over a month to go, we exceeded the attendee numbers at last years event,” Das said. “We expect to exceed our target of 1,800 attendees easily, and the final figure will likely be over 2,000. These are counted as unique people attending. We also have now a record 158 exhibitors, and we expect more before the show. We are nearing the limits of the space we have.”

Das will open the Keynote Session with his talk on “Printed Electronics: Show Me the Money!” Scott Sloss, principal engineer – Core Science and Engineering, Lifescan – a Johnson & Johnson Company, will discuss “Printed Electronics in the Multi Billion Dollar Diagnostics and Healthcare Market.”

“Printed Optics: Displays, Sensors, and Illumination for Future Interactive Objects and Devices” is the topic of the talk by Dr. Karl Willis, principal research engineer, Autodesk Consumer Group. Mike Lu, director OLED technology, Acuity Brands Lighting, will give a presentation on “New Developments in OLED Lighting.” Dr. Marc Vermeersch, Total’s solar technology and strategy – senior advisor, will analyze “Chances of Success for Organic PV in the Dominancy of Crystalline Silicon.”

The End User Forum follows the break. The panelists are expected to include Dr. Kenneth McGuire, principal scientist, Procter & Gamble; Antoine Ravise, R&D engineer, DECATHLON; and Scott Demarest, director, Colgate-Palmolive.

After the end user panel, Dr. Thomas Wehlus, senior R&D manager, OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, will cover “OLED Development at OSRAM: Achievements, Trends and Perspectives.” Dr. Meyya Meyyappan, chief scientist for NASA, will close the Keynote Session with “Carbon Nanotube Based Printed Electronics.”

Aside from the keynote talks, there are plenty of highlights, including speakers from industry leaders such as Panasonic, GSI Technologies, Thin Film Electronics, T-Ink, PPG, DuPont and many others. There will also be Manufacturing Street and Demonstration Street, offering end users an idea of what and how PE can work for them.

“We will feature Demonstration Street, the world’s largest collection of printed electronics products in one place, with more than 50 companies providing products,” Das said. “Additionally, the trade show incorporates Manufacturing Street, with participation from 11 companies, who will be making printed electronics products on the trade show floor and discussing each manufacturing approach so attendees can address their questions to experts.

“Conference attendees, on a first register basis, will also be given a unique sample,” Das added. “It is slightly too early to reveal the details, but this will be a breakthrough world-first demonstrator given away. It is a fully functional device and a fundamental building block to other printed electronics devices.”

There are four concurrent tracks on Day 1. Two of the tracks are focused on Printed Electronics, covering areas such as Wearable Electronics, Bio-Electronics and Hardware, Smart Labels and Packaging and Photovoltaics.

Day 1’s concurrent sessions include the co-located programs Graphene LIVE!, which will cover Supercapacitors and Graphene Opportunities in Supercapacitors; and OLEDs LIVE!, covering OLED vs. LED Lighting, OLED Displays and Scaling OLED Manufacturing.

Day 2 offers six concurrent sessions, with two focused on Printed Electronics. There are four co-located programs: Graphene LIVE!, OLEDs Live!, 3D Printing LIVE! and TCF (Transparent Conductive Films) LIVE!

“The co-located events such as Graphene, OLEDs LIVE! and Energy Harvesting & Storage provide specific focus on those topics, bringing more attendees interested in these aspects,” Das said. “Co-locating the events enables greater value to attendees for them to meet entire value chains of related technologies in one location, saving time and money and adding to attendance productivity.”

Das is seeing increased interest from end users, which bodes well for the industry.

“We are most excited by the high number of registrations from end users, many sending groups of people from the same company,” Das said. “Additionally, IDTechEx analysts will be on hand to help all attendees with any question they may have regarding the technology and its commercialization. Above all, this event is driven by a practical view of commercializing the technology, and not hype.”