Is Europe Losing the Race?
Most European giants have reduced or abandoned their activity
More than six other European giants have been divesting or shutting some or all of their post silicon printed and thin film electronics businesses at a time when none of the East Asian giants have been doing so. That leaves Europe as a happy hunting ground for foreign acquirors of companies, research centres and patents in printed and potentially printed electronics. Consequently, several European leaders in DSSC solar cells, organic solar cells and much else besides are now in foreign hands, mainly American. Now the Japanese are joining the party, with Sumitomo Chemical buying CDT, one of the three global leaders in polymer OLED IP. The Europeans could acquire US and even East Asian activities in the field but they are rarely interested. It seems a shame, because European research and development in the subject has been rapidly growing, with a remarkable 132 research organisations (out of 248 studies in total) in 19 European countries analysed in the new report Organic and Printed Electronics in Europe. Will their creativity and major expenditure result in nothing more than wealth creation in other parts of the world, where non European companies make and sell the resulting products? Will much of it result in nothing more than reports gathering dust on shelves? Let us hope not.
