Printed electronics remains on growth track
The Organic and Printed Electronics Association (OE-A) has started 2023 with a tailwind. A current business climate survey underlines the positive growth expectations of this industry. At the same time, the organisation published an updated roadmap that outlines further areas of application.
For 2023, the OE-A members surveyed expect an 18 % increase in sales for flexible and printed electronics. The outlook for 2024 is also promising with a very positive forecast of +19 %. The survey asks international members – from material manufacturers to end users – about sales, incoming orders, investments and employment. 76 % of the respondents expect the industry to continue to develop positively in 2023. The most important user industries for printed electronics applications are consumer electronics, automotive, medicine and pharmaceuticals, as well as construction and architecture.
With an expected sales growth of 18 % for 2023, the forecast is somewhat less optimistic compared to autumn 2022 (+24 %). For 2024, however, the positive outlook for turnover growth is confirmed at 19 %. Despite the good results, the industry is struggling with the effects of the global crises. 73 % of survey participants suffer from supply chain problems or price increases, for example. “For this year, our members expect negative effects from higher energy costs, inflation and difficulties in sourcing electronic components,” explains Stan Farnsworth, Stan Farnsworth, Chairman of the OE-A Board of Directors. “No short-term improvement is expected at this time.” What is encouraging, however, is that the time frame for business to return to normal is now seen as shorter than in past surveys. More than half of the participants (57%) expect the situation to ease within the next 12 months. In addition, member companies report an increasing recovery in customer demand compared to last October’s survey, especially from the US and Europe.
In the coming six months, 70 % of the companies surveyed will invest in their production and more than two thirds will increase their research and development activities. 55 % of the companies plan to increase staff.
Future application fields: Buildings, IoT, consumer electronics
At the same time as the survey results, the organisation published an updated roadmap in which it describes future fields of application and gives an outlook on new developments. According to the roadmap, automotive electronics occupy an important position as a customer market for printed and organic electronics. This technology is already being used for rear lights in series production. Now OLEDs are about to conquer interior lighting; the authors of the roadmap expect that they will also be used there in three-dimensional displays and lighting concepts. In addition, printed sensors are becoming increasingly important for interiors, especially in touch surfaces.
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In consumer electronics, printed electronics are gaining importance in the area of human-machine interface (HMI), where mechanical switches and buttons are also increasingly being replaced by touch sensors. In addition, smartphones with foldable displays are becoming increasingly popular. The covid pandemic has led to new applications in the healthcare industry and in packaging. Smart patches for monitoring vital functions, such as heartbeat and breathing, or smart labels in logistics that monitor temperature and vibrations of sensitive goods have established themselves in the market.
Another growth driver is the Internet of Things (IoT). Thanks to printed electronics that can be seamlessly integrated into any objects and surfaces, there are no longer any limits to networking. Hybrid technologies, for example for RFID and NFC labels as well as smart tags, which can now also contain integrated GPS, favour this development. Sustainability is playing a growing role in the building sector. Organic and large-area printed photovoltaics are increasingly used on roofs and facades. Smart sensors for security, monitoring and control of buildings are also using this technology.
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For the future, the trend is towards stretchable materials suitable for applications in medicine, sports and clothing. In the mobility sector, electric cars and autonomous driving are opening up new opportunities for printed sensors, integrated control and interface systems and further developments for battery technology. “Product development must think about flexible and printed electronics from the very beginning. Because printed and hybrid electronics can not only improve products incrementally, but have much more potential,” says Farnsworth.
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