The field of flexible and printed electronics (PE) is growing

up. More applications are reaching pilot production

and manufacturing stages, and there are new projects in

the developmental pipeline.

These are promising signs, as many manufacturers and

suppliers report more PE system producers are heading to

pilot production and manufacturing. In “PE Manufacturers

See Increase in Production,” which begins on page 12, the

printed electronics producers who I spoke with talked of

increasing interest from their customers. The same message

came through in “The Growing Market for Conductive Inks,”

beginning on page 15, as conductive ink suppliers report they

are seeing new opportunities.

In “Designing the PE Equipment for the Future,” beginning

on page 19, leading equipment manufacturers discuss the latest

needs of PE designers and manufacturers.

There are new technologies being developed constantly.

Graphene is one promising area, and in “The Possibilities of

Graphene in Printed Electronics,” starting on page 25, grapheme

producers discuss the advantages of graphene and the potential

ways it can be used in flexible and printed electronics. Research

institutes are also actively working on new materials and production

methods, a few of which I note in “Developing New Ways

to Produce PE Systems,” beginning on page 23. All in all, there

appears to be more opportunities coming in PE.

I hope you enjoy our latest issue, and always welcome your

thoughts on the field of flexible and printed electronics.