Member Article

Printable electronic components charge lead by North East’s CPI

A North East organisation is leading a £10m collaborative project to encourage the widespread adoption of low cost smartphone technology using printable electronics.

The Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is heading a consortium of businesses to promote ‘near field communication’ (NFC), through increasing manufacturing capacity and developing skills.

Many smartphones are enabled with NFC, allowing the user to interact with a diverse range of supported devices. This capability is already used widely in applications such as contactless payment.

The project will extend NFC’s use so that smartphones can interact with printed items such as labels, posters, documents and product packaging. It will also allow retailers and manufacturers to manage their supply chains more efficiently.

Nigel Perry, CEO of CPI said: “CPI is delighted to lead the project, which is in line with our role in supporting the development and commercialisation of advanced manufacturing processes. The project will enable the UK to be competitive in this high growth global industry.”

The programme will develop and integrate materials, printing, electronics, design, and manufacturing technology to create a UK supply chain that can make printed NFC devices at an industrial scale for market testing.

Scott White, CEO of consortium partner PragmatIC Printing Ltd added: “This programme will support the development of a complete manufacturing supply chain able to deliver our printed NFC solutions at a scale and cost suitable for widespread adoption.”

The project is part of the UK Government’s £116 million Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative (AMSCI) to strengthen UK manufacturing supply chains and to encourage major new suppliers to locate in the UK.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .