Is Europe Losing the Race?
Consider the giant corporations involved in what will become the largest sectors of printed and potentially printed electronics - OLEDs, transistors and photovoltaics. The table gives examples.
Role models of success
Leonhard Kurz in Germany is an exception, though it is not yet a giant. This 2000 person company, with global reach in laminates, foils and coatings, is putting both transistors and photovoltaics into production in two separate divisions. It bought the printed transistor business from Siemens and it licensed the printed photovoltaic process from Konarka. Merck Chemical has bought several companies developing and selling materials for printed electronics and it strongly supports appropriate academic work, showing admirable consistency of purpose as well. BASF has recently boosted its effort by licensing formulations for printable semiconductors and dielectrics from two companies. The “post silicon” division of ST Microelectronics has recently filed numerous patent applications for carbon nanotubes for molecular and biomolecular memories, single-electron transistors based on functionalized metal nanoclusters and other long term prospects. However, consistency of purpose and major investment by European giants in this subject is virtually confined to materials, OLED lighting, sensors and photovoltaics.
