OE-A Roadmap Risks a Glance at the Future

The organic and printed electronics industry is still quite young but shows continuing rapid development. Organic and printed electronics will revolutionize many applications: classical printed products will be upgraded; organic electronics will open up new fields for the advertising collateral industry as well as for producers of packaging.

What organic and printed electronics already makes possible – organic LEDs (OLEDs) in small-scale design-projects – and what will be possible in the future – equipping a large scale lighting project entirely with OLEDs – is illustrated in the fifth edition of the OE-A Roadmap. The goal of the OE-A and its Roadmap is to help the industry, government agencies and scientists to plan and align their R&D activities and product plans.

The OE-A Roadmap represents the common perspectives of the OE-A membership. More than 250 experts have worked on it. As one of the key activities of the OE-A, the Roadmap has taken account of the exciting technical progress made since the last edition as well as the introduction of initial products. the OE-A also risks a glance at the future.

Based on the analysis of all applications and technologies, key challenges (“Red Brick Walls”) that have yet to be overcome and key trends to get organic electronics ready for mass production were identified.

In the Roadmap, applications that make use of organic and printed electronics are categorized in five subject areas: Organic Photovoltaics, Flexible Displays, OLED Lighting, Electronics & Components and Integrated Smart Systems. The OE-A Roadmap also gives an overview of functional materials, substrates as well as printing and patterning techniques.

“In the future, we will combine organic and conventional electronics more and more,” said Dr. Stephan Kirchmeyer, OE-A chairman and head of the Business Unit Functional Coatings at Heraeus Precious Metals GmbH & Co. KG. “The so-called hybrid-electronics will pave the way for mass-production. The industry is working towards implementation of organic and printed electronics in the market. This opens up new possibilities.”

The White Paper including the Roadmap is now available at www.oe-a.org.