TRENDS IN PRINTED INTELLIGENCE

Printed intelligence consists of components and systems that extend the functions of printed matter beyond traditional visually interpreted text and graphics, and perform actions as a part of functional products or as a part of wider information systems. VTT is investigating and developing enabling technologies for printed intelligence, electronics and optics and their applications, with a vision that ‘electronics and functionalities from inks’, manufactured by printing like R2R (roll-to-roll) ‘continuously running’ methods, enable cost-efficient integration/embedding of simple intelligence everywhere. Advances in material technologies have been an important driver in these developments. Instead of evolutionary replacement of traditional paper- and printing-industry products or information and communications technology (ICT)- and electronics-industry products, the development goals are in disruptive new applications, such as interactive and smart packages and shopping environments, disposable diagnostics and bioactive paper, large area sensors for building use and gaming, tag and code technologies for ICT and hybrid-media applications, etc. Printed intelligence is based on high-throughp ut application of functional materials onto various, often flexible, substrates. These materials provide the printed product with functionalities based on, for instance, biotechnology, chemistry, optics, optoelectronics and electronics, or combinations of these. The application of these materials is carried out via cost-efficient manufacturing processes, such as contact printing, digital printing, coating, hot embossing, laser processing and combinations of these. The intelligent printed product can act independently on the printed product itself, or it can include, for instance, external power and computing sources, reading devices and supporting information systems. There are many application opportunities for paper-based substrates in this field, even though there are several challenges set by the higher demand of the printed materials and the final applications. Extensive research has been conducted worldwide since the 1990s, focusing on enabling technologies for printed and/or organic electronics. Examples of possible application fields for organic and printed electronics are shown in the OE-A Roadmap for organic and printed electronics applications (Figure 1) by Organic Electronics Association (OE-A). The possible application areas for printed intelligence have developed to include other functionalities such as chemical, biochemical and optical effects. The developers of these technologies are increasingly looking for new innovations at the intersections of these disciplines, triggering the creation of novel application solutions that can utilize technology from sectors as seemingly unconnected as biotechnology, ICT and electronics.