Printed/flexible/hybrid electronics brings many well-known benefits: numerous products and industries would benefit from electronics that are lighter, cheaper, flexible, and more sustainable. Unfortunately, this broad applicability can present difficulties: with so many opportunities across multiple market verticals, it can be challenging to identify the most productive avenues to focus technical development and product positioning.
There is thus a temptation for developers of new printed/flexible electronics technologies to hedge their bets, developing a wide range of prototypes or products. While some initial exploration of market needs is clearly desirable, focusing technical and business development resources on the best product-market fit can accelerate adoption. Two scenarios that promise to meet market needs are resolving a technology gap, and providing a novel but desirable end use case that only printed electronics can address.
Drawing on discussions with companies and research centers around the globe, this presentation aims to provide insight into both categories of product-market fit. Key technological gaps relevant to each industry, such as connecting to conventional electronics and resisting thermal cycling, will be explored, along with potential strategies to resolve these difficulties. Emerging applications resulting from a narrowing of scope that are gaining commercial traction, including low-cost leak sensing and high value decorative packaging, will be highlighted. Finally, a roadmap for the adoption of multiple printed/flexible electronics technologies across many different industries will be presented.
