The field of organic and printed electronics is enjoying growth, with more projects reaching commercialization and new applications emerging. The trade shows are also expanding and seeing more end-users attending, and LOPEC is no exception to these trends.
   
Organized by the OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association) and Messe Munich, LOPEC 2015, the 7th International Exhibition and Conference for the Organic and Printed Electronics Industry, will be held March 3-5, 2015 at Messe Munich in Munich, Germany.
   
“Organic and printed electronics is in the market,” said Klaus Hecker, OE-A’s managing director. “That is the most important statement. Ten years ago, printed electronics was an R&D field. Now, quite a few products have left the lab, investments in production have been made and products can be found in applications. That is what we can see at LOPEC, where exhibitors present not only prototypes but also their latest products. Especially big sectors of industry are interested in printed electronics – for example packaging and the automotive sector. That is why there is a focus on these two topics throughout the show.”
The show is already ahead of previous years, according to OE-A’s leaders.
   
“We expect LOPEC to continue to grow,” said Wolfgang Mildner, LOPEC general chair. “The registration numbers are very promising. LOPEC once again will be the largest event dedicated to printed electronics worldwide. Last year we had more than 2,000 participants from 40 countries, and 48% of the visitors came from foreign countries.”
   
The presentations will be among the highlights of LOPEC 2015. Mildner noted that the conference will emphasize specific focal points, including applications including wearables, automotives and medical uses.
   
“Besides technical highlights such as new materials, there will be a close look at applications,” he noted. “That is what LOPEC participants are interested in the most. One of the conference’s main focal points is flexible, wearable electronics and applications for the automotive sector.
   
‘Beyond that, Dr Soon Kook Hong from LG Electronics will report on LG’s strategy in printed electronics for touch screens, flexible displays and OPV,” Mildner added. “Michael Petersen from the Canadian company IMC will be speaking in the plenary session on smart packaging . He deals with interactive pharmaceuticals packaging. They register when a pill is removed from the packaging. That assists the patient in taking medication and connects to cloud services.” 
   
In addition, important highlights for the industry will be presented in the Business Conference and the Start-Up Forum, where new companies can present their business ideas. Mildner said that the Business Conference also starts with an exciting plenary session: Dr. Davor Sutija, CEO of Thin Film Electronics in Oslo, will discuss the Internet of Everything.
   
“The vision of networking everything with everything has been around for years – and now it can be realized with printed electronics,” Mildner said. “There are further plenary talks on the other days. Dr. David Fyfe from Oxford PV will talk about “Perovskites – Old Material, Bright New Future.” Marc Lünnemann from Osram OLED will talk about OLED in automotive lighting.”
   
One of the highlights during LOPEC is the Demonstration Line, where organic and printed electronics manufacturers produce products, showcasing what they technology can accomplish. This year,
electroluminescent films the size of a business card will be produced live at LOPEC Demo Line right in the exhibition hall.
   
“They will display an illuminated logo when voltage is applied,” Thomas Kolbusch, LOPEC exhibition chair, noted. “Printed elements of this type can be used to create radiant patterns and lines as well as fully illuminated displays. Thieme will show sheetfed printed demonstrators on Felix Schoeller’s special paper. Coatema will show web-fed printing on a PET substrate from DuPont Teijin Films.
   
“In total, there are more than 10 companies contributing to the demo line.” Kolbusch added. “They will present materials such as inks and substrates, machines for drying and flatbed printers, just to mention a few. There will be guided tours at the demo line to explain the production processes in detail, and attendees will receive a take-home demonstrator.”
   
As Hecker noted, wearables are a relatively new area of interest for organic and printed electronics manufacturers, and displays and 3D printing is also drawing attention.
   
“Wearables are an important topic for the printed electronics industry,” Hecker reported. “There are OLED, curved and flexible displays in smartphones and smart watches. And there are smart textiles. LOPEC’s Innovation Show Case considers itself as a platform for the latest product innovations and prototypes. Or rather: as an open stage. Visitors are invited to take a really close look at every exhibit. LG, for example, will be presenting an OLED TV and curved smart phone displays. Osram will be showing an OLED rear light for cars. Plastic Logic will be presenting a thin, flexible display in the shape of a bracelet, which acts as a Smart Watch. Other exhibits will be coming from the consumer electronics, smart textiles and packaging areas.
   
“The combination of printed electronics and 3D printing enables new and individual products,” he added. “There is a session on March 4 (6-8 p.m.) called “Upscaling production and 3D printing: Additive and digital manufacturing methods,” which is dealing with the topic. The technology enables printing on 3D surfaces. It also enables Additive Manufacturing for the automotive industry, for example.”
   
For more information on LOPEC 2015, check out the web at www.lopec.comor contact Hecker at Klaus.Hecker@oe-a.org.