Function, form and technology are inseparably linked in modern product development. With the growing maturity of printed and flexible electronics, designers are gaining access to entirely new design dimensions – ranging from interactive surfaces and smart textiles to embedded functionality in everyday products. LOPEC aims to make these possibilities tangible and to accelerate the transfer of know-how between technology developers and creative disciplines. A key element of this effort is the Design@LOPEC workshop format.
The Design@LOPEC initiative was created with a clear dual objective: to introduce printed electronics to designers who may not yet be familiar with the technology, and to bring the printed electronics and design communities into closer dialogue. While printed electronics engineers and material developers often focus on performance, reliability and manufacturability, designers approach innovation from the perspective of usability, aesthetics and user experience. The workshop is designed to increase mutual understanding—raising designers’ awareness of printed electronics while simultaneously sharpening the technology community’s understanding of design requirements.
A multidisciplinary target group
The workshop addresses designers working across a wide range of application areas, including automotive interiors, healthcare products, wearables, interactive consumer goods, fashion and textiles, interior design and consumer electronics. These sectors are increasingly converging, particularly where flexible hybrid electronics and e-textiles are concerned. Printed electronics enable electronics to disappear into fabrics, surfaces and structures, allowing functionality to be integrated without compromising form or comfort.
The first Design@LOPEC workshop demonstrated how strong interest already is at this intersection. In 2025, twelve participants from eight different countries took part in the five-hour programme, representing diverse professional backgrounds. The workshop combined sponsor presentations, technology briefings, trend and idea development, and hands-on prototyping activities focused on e-textiles and flexible electronics. Participants worked in small interdisciplinary teams to develop concepts and early prototypes within a limited time frame.
The results of this collaborative process were subsequently displayed in the LOPEC Innovation Showcase, making the outcomes visible to the wider exhibition audience. Prototypes ranged from smart textile concepts to interactive product ideas, illustrating how quickly functional ideas can emerge when design and technology expertise are brought together.
Learning by doing
A defining characteristic of Design@LOPEC is its practical orientation. Rather than focusing solely on theory, the workshop emphasises hands-on experimentation with printed electronic materials, supported by expert guidance. Participants are introduced to typical creative R&D processes in printed electronics and explore how design-driven approaches can be integrated into technology development. The programme explicitly addresses iterative design methodologies, highlighting how prototypes can serve as learning tools in early-stage innovation.
Feedback from participants and sponsors underlines the value of this approach. Participants highlighted the opportunity to exchange perspectives across disciplines, while sponsors noted the impressive pace at which ideas and functional prototypes emerged. The workshop setting encourages open discussion and lowers barriers between designers, technologists and industrial partners.
Design@LOPEC 2026: programme and outlook
The Design@LOPEC workshop will return ahead of LOPEC 2026, taking place on 24 February 2026 at the International Congress Center Messe München. The one-day programme runs from 10:00 to 17:00 and is accessible exclusively to registered Design@LOPEC ticket holders. It includes sponsor presentations, sample demonstrations, guided hands-on activities, team-based design and prototyping sessions, and the joint selection of projects to be presented in the Innovation Showcase during the exhibition on 25 and 26 February.
Participants benefit not only from the workshop itself, but also from access to LOPEC, including a guided exhibition tour. Materials, machines and expert support are provided, allowing attendees to focus fully on experimentation and concept development.
As printed electronics continue to move closer to market applications, the importance of design-oriented formats such as Design@LOPEC is expected to grow. By fostering early interaction between designers and technology developers, the initiative contributes to more user-centred, application-ready solutions—and helps ensure that function, form and technology evolve together rather than in isolation.