OE-A Honors Winners of OE-A, Start-Up Competitions at LOPEC 2024

The range of submissions in this OE-A Competition 2024 was wide: From energy-autonomous sensors for tires to muscle sensors for exoskeletons to a fully printed flexible printed circuit board.

Companies and institutes from all over the world submitted their latest visions and products in the field of flexible, organic and printed electronics for the OE-A Competition 2024, organized annually by the Organic and Printed Electronics Association (OE-A), a working group within VDMA.

The top four entries were awarded at LOPEC 2024, the international exhibition and conference or flexible, organic and printed electronics, March 3-5, in Munich, Germany.

The jury, consisting of representatives from international companies and institutes, evaluated 16 entries in three categories. LOPEC attendees were also able to vote. At the OE-A booth, where all the demonstrators were on display, visitors were encouraged to vote for their favorite product in the category “Public Choice Award.”

The competition challenges the printed electronics industry each year to bring their newest and most promising ideas and products. This year’s OE-A Competition featured various cutting-edge products with a strong link to sustainability.

“The OE-A Competition is a great opportunity to present fresh ideas to an international audience,” said Dr. Klaus Hecker, managing director of the OE-A. “We see a strong drive to improve the sustainability of printed electronics further by developing new materials, and processes.”

The awards were officially handed over during the LOPEC Award Show to the following winners:
• Best Prototype and New Product: Period-after-opening time tracker – FLEEP Technologies
• Best Freestyle Demonstrator: Integrated de-icing system for wind turbine blades –Tekniker
• Best Publicly Funded Project: Energy autonomous sensor system for smart tires –
JOANNEUM Research
• Public Choice Award: 3D HMI Automotive – EURECAT

Fostering Young Talents

In addition to the established competition, Henkel AG & Co. KGaA and the OE-A Working
Group Education have for the first time launched the “Student Open Innovation Challenge” for graduate and undergraduate students. To bring their ideas to life, the students were provided with the Henkel Sensor Kit, which includes 4 types of printed sensors.

“There is a lot of talent at the universities. The winner’s project makes a direct contribution to the issue of caregiving and to easing the burden on caregivers,” explained Hecker.
• Student Open Innovation Challenge: Patient Monitoring System – Loughborough University

LOPEC Start-Up Competition 2024

As part of the LOPEC Business Conference, the OE-A supports young companies and start-ups with the Start-Up Competition.

“The aim of the Start-Up Competition is to bring together partners and investors with young entrepreneurs to support the realization of their business. LOPEC fosters
young companies with the opportunity to give a pitch in the Forum and to exhibit in the dedicated Start-Up area,” said Wolfgang Mildner, general chair of LOPEC.

Two awards were presented for the LOPEC Start-up Competition 2024:
• Best Business Case: Smart window foil to protect buildings from unwanted solar heat – AMPERIAL Technologies
• Most Impactful Technology/Product: Biofuel Cells – Batteries made sustainable – BeFC Bioenzymatic Fuel Cells