At LOPEC 2024, leading players in the industry will present innovations and trends in flexible, organic, and printed electronics from 5-7 March 2024. LOPEC Exhibition Director Armin Wittmann provides insights into the current exhibitor figures as well as the highlights and focus topics of this year’s event.
Mr. Wittmann, the international printed electronics industry is meeting again in Munich at the beginning of March – how has the response been so far?
Armin Wittmann: The response from the industry has been very positive, and we can once again report a record number of exhibitors in 2024: About 180 companies, almost 60 percent of them from abroad, will showcase exciting innovations in the exhibition area for two days. This is an increase of around seven percent, which reflects the momentum of the entire industry and underlines the importance of LOPEC as THE meeting place for the industry. We are particularly pleased to welcome some new top-class exhibitors such as Beneli, infinityPV, Sefar and Tesa, as well as, for the first time, a joint stand from Spain. At the three-day conference, which is regarded as the world’s most influential platform for exchange in the sector, experts from industry and research will share their specialist knowledge in over 180 presentations. This year, LOPEC will once again provide groundbreaking impetus for the further development of the industry.
Which items of the programme would you particularly like to recommend to visitors?
A. Wittmann: New this year is the Open Plenary Session, which is also open to visitors without a conference ticket: Dr. Alain Schumacher, CTO at IEE, will demonstrate the enormous importance of printed electronics applications for sustainability (ICM foyer on March 6 at 8:00 am). The Start-up Award, which is presented in two categories, is all about the best business ideas from young companies. There were so many applications this year that the jury was able to select five finalists from a wide range of topics. Another highlight is the Innovation Showcase, which presents the latest products and solutions in the industry. This year, for example, a uniform for emergency services that can recognize injuries at an early stage thanks to integrated sensors in combination with artificial intelligence. Or sun blinds with integrated printed solar cells that can be attached to buildings to generate environmentally friendly electricity from solar energy.
What topics is LOPEC especially focusing on this year?
A. Wittmann: Printed electronics has enormous potential for countless areas of applications and is being used more and more in our everyday lives. We place a particular focus on two areas: Smart Living and Mobility. In the healthcare sector, for example, exhibitors will be showing innovative solutions that support patient care. In the field of e-mobility, applications will be presented that help optimise the performance and service life of batteries. Above all, sustainability is a recurring theme throughout the event. Printed electronics is one of the key technologies for this topic, as the components are so lightweight, flexible, thin, and resource-efficient to manufacture that they play a prominent role in sustainable solutions.
LOPEC takes place in Munich from 5-7 March 2024 (exhibition: March 6 and 7, 2024).