Brainport’s printed-electronics industry is gaining momentum

More and more questions being asked about printed electronics are about compliance with regulations or safety standards, says Corné Rentrop of Eindhoven-based research institute Holst Centre. “This is a clear indication that the technology, at least for a number of applications, is no longer the main hurdle. Indeed, companies are looking at how to actually use it. The adoption of printed electronics has definitely entered a new phase.”

Rentrop is the technical project leader of the regional OPZuid Printed Electronics project, which is just about to wrap up. The goal of the project was to accelerate the industrial maturation of printed electronics in the south of the Netherlands, also known as the Brainport region, by bringing together all parts of the value chain to form a well-oiled ecosystem (see inset “The OPZuid Printed Electronics project”). Additionally, 14 demonstration projects were initiated to explore and expand the applicability of the technology.