From April 5-7, 2016, LOPEC displayed innovative products from the field of printed electronics in Munich, Germany, as 148 companies made their way from 18 countries to exhibit at the international exhibition and conference for the printed electronics industry.
 
“This year, we have seen our exhibitor numbers increase by over 10%,” said Falk Senger, managing director of Messe München. “More and more sectors are putting their trust in this key technology and using LOPEC as a platform for presenting their innovations on an international level.”
 
More than 2,000 visitors from more than 40 countries attended LOPEC 2016. The key industry markets were also reflected in the most strongly represented nations in terms of visitors, which, besides Germany, were the UK, the US and Japan.
 
“The most recent business climate survey conducted by the OE-A has shown that the sector expects an increase in sales revenue of 11% for 2016 and predicts that this growth will continue next year,” said Dr. Jeremy Burroughes, chairman of the OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association) and CTO at Cambridge Display Technology. “This worldwide upward trend is clearly visible at LOPEC.”
 
LOPEC sets the stage for the European premiere of Audi’s OLED tail lights. At this year’s event, Audi revealed this latest innovation during its plenary session at the LOPEC Conference as well as displayed their technology at the Innovation Showcase, an exhibition area dedicated to product innovations and prototypes.
 
“Back in 2013, we had the chance to discuss potential solutions with the specialists at LOPEC and now, three years later, our OLED tail lamps are being put into series production,” Stephan Berlitz, head of development, Lighting Functions and Innovations at Audi, said.
 
Other key industry players – including adidas, Cartamundi and Schneider Electric – offered insights into their requirements for printed electronics during talks at the LOPEC Conference, while BASF and Sumitomo Chemicals were among the companies presenting their technical innovations.
 
With talks from renowned international researchers, such as Professor Henning Sirringhaus from the University of Cambridge and Professor Jun Takeya from the University of Tokyo, the LOPEC Conference lived up to the high expectations of the visitors from scientific fields, with 196 presentations were given by speakers from 27 countries at LOPEC.
 
“The high caliber of contributors representing the application, research and development fields serves as further proof that the conference is a truly unparalleled event,” Wolfgang Mildner, general chair of LOPEC, noted.
 
Seventeen companies from the OE-A took part in the LOPEC Demo Line. Packaging featuring integrated electroluminescent surfaces was printed live on the production line.
 
“Visitors want to see real-life applications,” said Thomas Kolbusch, LOPEC exhibition chair and VP of Coatema Coating Machinery. “The countless exhibits and live demonstrations we arrange ensure that everyone has the chance to see printed electronics for themselves at first hand.”
 
Visitors were also able to get to grips with printed electronics at the Innovation Showcase. The products on display included, among others, innovative flexible lighting panels from LG Display and a Band-aid that records an ECG, presented by the Holst Centre.
 
Besides the automotive and consumer electronics industries, wearable technology was also a focal point of this year’s event. Printed electronics makes thin, lightweight and flexible applications possible that are ideally suited for smart wearable electronic devices. Examples on show at LOPEC included a fitness shirt that comes with analysis software from Fraunhofer IISB, a smart winter glove from Kjus, a wrist strap featuring a fully flexible display from Polyera and several products from adidas.
 
The next LOPEC event will take place between March 28 and 30, 2017.