Highly positive assessment of the presence of the 3NEO Technological Platform and its partners at LOPEC 23.

Flexible, organic, and printed electronics become a major trend at the Munich fair, which, with more than 200 exhibitors, consolidates itself as the world's leading platform in the sector.

The 3NEO Technology Platform and its partners had a very positive presence at LOPEC 23, with the Functional Print Cluster and 3NEO Platform attending along with solutions and proposals from Aimplas, Eurecat, Itene, Rotimpres, and Tecnalia, making the grouped stand the reference for Spanish functional printing.

Juan Antonio Ruiz, President of the Functional Print Cluster, highlighted the quality of the exhibitions in both the stands and the conference cycle, as well as "the intensity of a schedule full of events and opportunities." He emphasized that "we have continued to build relationships and promote the creation of new opportunities and synergies that may bear fruit in the future. We want to stimulate relationships, access new markets and partners, as well as explore new business opportunities."

In addition to the booth, and to complete the commercial participation, the group actively participated in the conference cycle. Aimplas, Tecnalia, Eurecat, and BC Materials presented widely recognized papers. In fact, one of the posters, specifically from Tecnalia (Fully printed and embedded RF passive components), received an award.

The group has taken advantage of the fair days, adding commercial contacts, meetings with other clusters and organizations, and visits to technological companies.

Expectations for this edition of LOPEC were met and even exceeded; almost 200 exhibitors from 25 different countries and more than 2,300 visitors from 46 countries attended over the three days in Munich. This represents a 60% internationalization. Flexible, organic, and printed electronics were the most notable and important items at the fair, demonstrating the potential that this technology represents.

The Technology Platform 3NEO and the Functional Print Cluster, together with their partners Aimplas, Eurecat, Itene, Rotimpres and Tecnalia, have once again attracted attention to Spanish printed electronics with their most important participation at LOPEC 23, currently the largest European event in the printed electronics industry.

LOPEC: GOOD SENSATIONS AND MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE ACCORDING TO PARTICIPANTS.

For participants, once again, it was a great experience to be part of LOPEC. The president of the Functional Print Cluster, Juan Antonio Ruiz, highlighted the importance of this event and the enormous possibilities it offers. "We have been able to stimulate existing relationships and build new ones that may allow us to grow and improve our value propositions for the future." Aimplas stated that "the fair was worthwhile, and good contacts were made, although nothing particularly significant was found." Representatives from Rotimpres valued LOPEC as "a valuable opportunity to observe trends and establish strategic connections with various actors in the sector. It is also interesting to seek synergies for possible projects with different actors." At Eurecat, the experience was also positively evaluated as "a meeting point where we can interact with all the agents in the value chain of printed electronics, an essential event."

Similarly, Itene considered the fair "a reference forum that should not be missed to learn about the latest developments in electronic printing and a suitable framework for presenting advances as an exhibitor and getting known. It provides visibility as well as knowledge about the developments made by large corporations and centers." Likewise, Tecnalia wanted to add that "it is the international reference forum for functional printing, and it has served to strengthen the network of contacts and validate the validity of our value proposition." Finally, Adela Santamaría, Project Manager of the Functional Print Cluster, added that "it is a good opportunity to keep abreast of the latest advances generated in the field of printed electronics and to take ideas to develop and continue working on."

As in other editions, a common space was created to gain visibility and impact and to be able to promote international commercial relationships and the promotion of the value chain with agents, distributors, and buyers from around the world.

CONFERENCES, NETWORKING, VISITS, COMMERCIAL PRESENTATIONS; A FULL AGENDA OF ACTIVITIES

The fair began with a first day dedicated to conferences in multiple formats. Several companies in the cluster presented proposals such as Aimplas (Screen-printed conductive electrodes for ITO-free optoelectronic applications); BC Materials with two conferences (Improving definition of screen-printed functional materials for sensing application; and Printed human skin model equivalent circuit for the evaluation of biomedical electrodes); Tecnalia (Fully printed and embedded RF passive components) and Eurecat with two other presentations (Sensing electronic skin based on seamless fully printed stretchable piezoelectric devices; and Overcoming plastronic parts constraints: improving the connectors and increasing the shape formation ratio).

As in previous editions and to complete the commercial group participation, the group carried out a series of parallel activities in collaboration with companies and partner entities, focusing on enhancing the collective intelligence of the partners (exhibitors and visitors).

On the first day, a visit was made to the international company M.Braun, a company with great potential in the engineering and robotics sector mainly, as well as a networking meeting with the German organic electronics cluster of Saxony - OES (Organic Electronics Saxony) where participants were able to relate and exchange projects, technologies and ideas. In addition, representatives of PrintoCent, the Finnish Cluster of Printed Electronics, joined the meeting, opening up possibilities for work, visits, and synergies. In this sense, during these days, meetings have also been held with AFELIM - Association française de l'électronique imprimée or with representatives of ICEX in Germany. In this line of work, the joint stand of the Functional Print Cluster and 3NEO Platform has been participating in this fair since 2018 and adds a tradition of joint dissemination of printed technology and R&D made in Spain. "We would like to enhance this joint participation for the coming years and help companies, universities, and technology centers to participate more comfortably in this type of technological fairs and therefore promote their international presence; it represents a unique opportunity to disseminate this R&D and therefore to carry out a worthwhile international technological transfer to companies," says Susana Barasoain, responsible for the 3NEO Technological Platform and manager of the Functional Print Cluster.

PARTICIPANTS OF THE JOINT STAND

FUNCTIONAL PRINT CLUSTER

It is a group of companies, technological centers, knowledge centers, business associations, and other agents whose activity is related to the promotion and industrialization of functional printing. LEARN MORE

3NEO TECHNOLOGICAL PLATFORM

Promotes growth and competitiveness through cooperation and collaboration, business and technological, to promote technological transfer in FUNCTIONAL PRINTING, PRINTED ELECTRONICS, BIO-PRINTING, and 3D PRINTING. LEARN MORE

AIMPLAS

Technological center with 30 years of experience in the plastics industry. They provide solutions to companies throughout the value chain, from raw material manufacturers to plastic processors and end-users. LEARN MORE

EURECAT

The main technological partner of companies working in Catalonia has a technology unit with more than ten years of experience in printed and conventional electronics. Together with the other capabilities of the center, this allows them to provide solutions to complex and specific challenges in a wide range of sectors, including medicine, wellness and health, sports, packaging, and mobility. LEARN MORE

ITENE

The Technological Center for Packaging, Transportation and Logistics offers companies cutting-edge knowledge and technology to build a safer and more sustainable future. It is a research center dedicated to R&D&i of market-oriented solutions and technology transfer through the development of sustainable materials and recycling technologies that facilitate their transition to the circular economy. LEARN MORE

ROTIMPRES

It is one of the leading printing companies, with over 40 years of experience in offset printing of newspapers, magazines, and catalogs. Its business philosophy has always been to continue growing and innovating also in functional printing services. LEARN MORE

TECNALIA

It is one of the largest applied research and technological development centers in Spain, a reference in Europe and a member of the Basque Alliance for Research and Technology. Its main areas of activity include smart manufacturing or digital transformation, among others. LEARN MORE

FUNCTIONAL PRINT AND 3NEO PLATFORM; FUNCTIONAL PRINTING ECOSYSTEM A REFERENCE IN EUROPE

Functional Print is a group of companies, technological centers, knowledge centers (universities and vocational training), business associations, and other agents whose activity is related to the promotion and industrialization of functional and additive printing.

The cluster, created in 2014 and managed by the general secretariat of the 3NEO technology platform since 2019, promotes growth and competitiveness through business and technological cooperation and collaboration, to drive one of the most innovative sectors with the highest industrial growth prospects.

If you want more information about Functional Print Cluster, 3NEO Platform, printed electronics or functional printing, do not hesitate to consult:

Communication Cabinet Cluster Functional Print - Encomunicacion

Beatriz Remiro / Alberto Pérez 948 25 77 00- info@ncencomunicacion.com