The printed electronics industry is enjoying some successes recently, and is drawing more attention as a result. This should continue at LOPE-C 2012 (Large-area, Organic and Printed Electronics Convention), which will be held from June 19-21, 2012 at Messe München International (MMI) in Munich, Germany.

Organized jointly by the OE-A and Messe München GmbH, LOPE-C 2012 offers a comprehensive look at market-ready products and trends of industrial R&D. Dr. Klaus Hecker, managing director, OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association), said exhibit space is up significantly this year. LOPE-C will showcase a lot of end-user products and offer application-oriented presentations covering displays, smart cards, organic photovoltaics (OPV), printed batteries and sensors, materials and equipment and much more.

“LOPE-C is the main event of the OE-A,” said Wolfgang Mildner, managing director of PolyIC GmbH & Co.KG and LOPE-C chairman. “LOPE-C shows everything that is already available on the market in terms of products and production processes. At the same time, the show expresses our vision of future research and development.”

“With more than 100 exhibitors from 17 countries signed up, LOPE-C 2012 is further strengthening its undisputed top position as the largest and most important exhibition and conference for organic and printed electronics worldwide,” said Dr. Hecker. “Compared to last year’s event, the show floor will increase by 40 percent. We expect LOPE-C 2012 to be the largest event in the field. ”

Dr. Heckert noted that the conference consists of five events: the Plenary Session; the Business Conference, including the Investor Forum; the Technical Conference; the Scientific Conference, including Interactive Sessions; and the Short Courses. Nearly 190 speakers from leading companies, research institutes and universities, will present their findings to attendees.

“The conference program at LOPE-C reflects the latest market developments and focuses on specific applications,” Dr. Hecker said. “More than 180 speakers from 27 countries will present applications, developments and advancements in organic and printed electronics. Representatives of leading end user companies such as Giesecke&Devrient Janssen Pharmaceutical/Johnson & Johnson, MeadWestvaco, Philips and Stora Enso will be giving lectures at LOPE-C.”

Dr. Hecker also anticipates that there will be a growing number of end-users on hand who are testing where printed electronics can be of benefit.

“We see growing interest from end-user industries such as automotive, pharmaceuticals, print and packaging,” Dr. Hecker said. “They wish to learn more and explore potential applications, and they are asking for partners in projects and applications.”

The first day’s Plenary Session features talks by Mildner; Dr. Thomas Skordas, DG Information Society & Media, European Commission, Head of Photonics Unit INFSO-G5, Belgium, who will discuss “The European Horizon for Organic & Large Area Electronics.”

Dr. Skordas will be followed by OE-A chairman Dr. Stephan Kirchmeyer of Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG, who will analyze “Organic and Printed Electronics: Status, Opportunities and Challenges.” Dr. Kai Grassie, CTO of Giesecke & Devrient, will present on “Reliable Transactions – Security through Authenticity,” discussing the use of printed electronics in the smart card sector, followed by Prof. Dr. Toshihide Kamata, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science & Technology, Japan, whose topic is “Horizontal and Vertical Approach to the Printed Electronics.”

The afternoon will include five concurrent tracks. Track 1 is the Business Conference, covering the topics of Packaging & Printing and Applications of ITO Replacement and Transparent Conductors. One talk of interest will be given by Eric Snoeckx from Janssen Pharmaceutica/Johnson & Johnson in Belgium, who will discuss “The Integration of Printed Electronics in the Pharmaceuticals Industry.”

Tracks 2 and 3 are for the Technical Conference, ranging from Lighting and OPV to Integrated Smart Systems and Process. Tracks 4 and 5 are dedicated to the Scientific Conference, focusing on Printing and Patterning; Inorganic Materials and Nanomaterials; OPV; and RFID and Antenna Structures.

June 21’s Plenary Session features talks by Prof. Karl Leo, Institut fuer Angewandte Photophysik, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Fraunhofer-Institute for Photonic Microsystems on “Recent Progress in Small Molecule Organic Devices;” Dr. Janglin Chen, Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), vice president of ITRI and general director of DTC, Taiwan, on “Recent Development in Flexible Displays.” 

Dr. Martin Pfeiffer, Heliatek CTO, will discuss “Towards Mass Production of Organic Vacuum-Deposited Solar Cells and Modules;” and Dr. Malcolm J. Thompson, FlexTech Alliance, member of the FlexTech Alliance Governing Board and chairman of the Technology Committee, will talk about “Partnering for Progress in Flexible, Printed Electronics.”

The afternoon’s five concurrent tracks include three tracks dedicated to the Technical Conference, with sessions set aside for Electronics/Components, Integrated Smart Systems, Materials, Displays, OPV, Lighting and Process. Tracks 5 and 5 are again the Scientific Conference, with Roll to Roll Processes, Sintering and Phase Conversion, Printing and Patterning, Substrates and Barriers, Thin Film Transistors and Organic Materials the topics to be discussed.