David Savastano, Editor07.07.10
In the printed electronics (PE) industry, there has been much work done on developing applications on the research end, notably at universities and start-up companies, as well as production being done at established companies.
What is also noteworthy are the newer companies that are making names for themselves in the PE space. For PE to grow, there has to be products that reach the markets and draw the attention of consumers, which, in turn, will lead to more interest from designers who will imagine what PE can do for their products.
Both Printed Electronics Europe 2010, hosted by IDTechEX, and Large-area, Organic and Printed Electronics Convention (LOPE-C) 2010 conference and exhibition, organized by the Organic Electronics Association (OE-A), showcased many of these companies. And while PE leaders such as PolyIC, Kovio, Thin Film Electronics, Enfucell and Soligie are successfully manufacturing their products, there are a group of entrepreneurs who are coming into their own; I’m briefly going to focus on three companies.
Nano ePrint Limited, a specialist in the design and manufacturing of planar nano-electronics, made news recently when it announced that in partnership with Novalia Ltd., it is developing all-printed electronic greeting cards for Tigerprint Ltd., a subsidiary of Hallmark. The Manchester, UK-based PE manufacturer anticipates that the cards will appear on the market in 2011.
prelonic technologies, Linz, Austria, is another company that caught my eye at PE Europe 2010. Founded in December 2007 by Dr. Friedrich Eibensteiner and Heinz Durstberger, the company specializes in printed batteries, conductors and displays. The company launched its Kwizzcard, what prelonic calls the first fully printed electronic game card. prelonic´s PE technology will enable promotional product designers to add a new set of features to existing products like game cards, refrigerator magnets, loyalty program cards, collector cards and “in-magazine” and “on-packaging” promotions.
Printechnologics is another company of much interest. Based in Chemnitz, Germany, Printechnologics had previously operated under the name of Menippos GmbH, which was best known for interactive Upper Deck trading cards. Today, Printechnologics manufactures printed identification tags and batteries on paper, and its technologies are being licensed by its customers.
In talking with these companies, one of the messages that come through again and again is the importance of starting small. Early on, quite a few PE companies came out with impressive proposals for groundbreaking new technologies, which were actually quite sophisticated and complex. Many of these businesses drew the interest of venture capital firms and received funding, but either their technology was not ready or the market was not yet developed. As a result, companies fell by the wayside.
In talking with leaders at these newer companies, they note that developing products that are ready for the market is essential. In essence, companies need revenue streams as well as products that they can show to prospective partners. This ultimately is a business model that will provide these companies with the opportunity get their footing and have time to work on larger-scale projects with their customers.
Photo courtesy of Nano ePrint LImited. |
Both Printed Electronics Europe 2010, hosted by IDTechEX, and Large-area, Organic and Printed Electronics Convention (LOPE-C) 2010 conference and exhibition, organized by the Organic Electronics Association (OE-A), showcased many of these companies. And while PE leaders such as PolyIC, Kovio, Thin Film Electronics, Enfucell and Soligie are successfully manufacturing their products, there are a group of entrepreneurs who are coming into their own; I’m briefly going to focus on three companies.
Nano ePrint Limited, a specialist in the design and manufacturing of planar nano-electronics, made news recently when it announced that in partnership with Novalia Ltd., it is developing all-printed electronic greeting cards for Tigerprint Ltd., a subsidiary of Hallmark. The Manchester, UK-based PE manufacturer anticipates that the cards will appear on the market in 2011.
prelonic technologies, Linz, Austria, is another company that caught my eye at PE Europe 2010. Founded in December 2007 by Dr. Friedrich Eibensteiner and Heinz Durstberger, the company specializes in printed batteries, conductors and displays. The company launched its Kwizzcard, what prelonic calls the first fully printed electronic game card. prelonic´s PE technology will enable promotional product designers to add a new set of features to existing products like game cards, refrigerator magnets, loyalty program cards, collector cards and “in-magazine” and “on-packaging” promotions.
Printechnologics is another company of much interest. Based in Chemnitz, Germany, Printechnologics had previously operated under the name of Menippos GmbH, which was best known for interactive Upper Deck trading cards. Today, Printechnologics manufactures printed identification tags and batteries on paper, and its technologies are being licensed by its customers.
In talking with these companies, one of the messages that come through again and again is the importance of starting small. Early on, quite a few PE companies came out with impressive proposals for groundbreaking new technologies, which were actually quite sophisticated and complex. Many of these businesses drew the interest of venture capital firms and received funding, but either their technology was not ready or the market was not yet developed. As a result, companies fell by the wayside.
In talking with leaders at these newer companies, they note that developing products that are ready for the market is essential. In essence, companies need revenue streams as well as products that they can show to prospective partners. This ultimately is a business model that will provide these companies with the opportunity get their footing and have time to work on larger-scale projects with their customers.