Some of the most innovative work being created in the printed electronics space can be found at research institutes. These institutes have partnerships throughout the world of business and universities and have the freedom to reach into different disciplines.

InnovationLab GmbH (iL) is a special case of that, having developed from an interdisciplinary research institute to an R&D and production company spanning the spectrum from academia to industry.

From its beginnings in 2008, InnovationLab brings together key shareholders, including the University of Heidelberg, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, BASF, SAP and Heidelberger Druckmaschinen, as well as numerous end-users, focusing on the world of printed and organic electronics (POE).

At iL, this also includes soft- and hardware solutions and even IoT integration – a crucial step for digitalization. The benefits of low-cost sensors connected to a powerful cloud recently have been shown by a common demonstrator of InnovationLab and SAP and will be exhibited in the near future at SAP now events and SAP Experience Centers all over the world. Further projects with major customers of SAP are just starting.

Dr. Florian Ullrich, business developer, InnovationLab GmbH, explained that from the very beginning, InnovationLab GmbH was focusing on printed electronics.

“Several universities and companies have come together under the roof of the Cluster ‘Forum Organic Electronics’ to foster the transfer of scientific knowledge in the field of printed and organic electronics into the market,” said Dr. Ullrich. “With this concept, the Forum was able to win the Leading-Edge Cluster Competition 2008 of the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF). This is how it all started.”

Nowadays, InnovationLab is primarily active in segments such as Mobility & Automotive, Healthcare, Logistics & Retail, and Textiles & Garments.

Dr.Ullrich noted that what differentiates InnovationLab from other companies in the field of printed electronics is its ability to provide integrated solutions from a single partner, as a one-stop-shop for POE and to produce in basically any quantity.

“This means that we are able to turn visions into market products,” he added. “For this, we use our deep scientific knowledge and research capacities to develop customized products and bring them to market maturity, while from the very first scratch we consider specifications which are dictated by suitability for future mass production.

“iL does the up-scaling, which already has huge capacity due to our roll-to-roll printing machine, and our partner Heidelberger Druckmaschinen is responsible for the industrial mass production,” said Dr. Ullrich. “Especially for this purpose, a new spinoff called Heidelberg Printed Electronics has been established. Thus, our products are made in Germany, but at low prices. We bring ideas from ‘lab to fab.’”

Additionally, iL provides software and IoT solutions, even for huge applications in warehouses, supported by its partners, such as SAP, Westernacher or Controlware. iL is also developing a consulting unit for POE, comprising technology scouting, market evaluation, feasibility studies, advice and workshops regarding POE, development on orders, as well as start-up support.

InnovationLab is working on a wide range of products for different markets. One example is OccluSense, the first digital solution for occlusion control, designed for and in close cooperation with Dr. Jean Bausch GmbH & Co. KG.

Further current and future projects include printed heaters, invisible switches, smart car seats, traffic control for smart cities, automated inventory and stock control systems, sensors for battery health monitoring and textile integration.

With its partnership with Heidelberger Druckmaschinen and the recently created Heidelberg Printed Electronics GmbH, the industry looks like it is making major strides.

“We are planning to grow with up to 10 new colleagues within this year from currently 35, so the situation very good and the market is growing rapidly,” Dr. Ullrich added. “We are experiencing a large demand for various, different applications of POE from the market. I believe we are just at the beginning of realizing the wide potential of PoE.”