Positive development continues for organic and printed electronics

The semi-annual OE-A Business Climate Survey sheds light on the anticipated growth of the Organic and Printed Electronics industry. During each survey, OE-A members, from material suppliers to end-users, are asked to provide qualitative data on the state of the industry and their expected sales development.

With a projected sales revenue of three percent, 2019 will be a successful year for OE-A members. However, this forecast is significantly lower than the one made in the spring survey this year. A sales growth of nine percentage points was forecasted for 2019. For 2020, the companies expect a further increase in turnover of five percent. This growth is expected along the entire value chain. 

“It is not surprising that the organic and printed electronics industry is also feeling the effects of the uncertainties and the general slowdown in the global economy. But we expect healthy growth for both this and upcoming year," said Klaus Hecker, Managing Director of OE-A.

“This positive outlook is reflected in other indicators such as investments and development expenses," added Hecker. For example, 81% of companies are expanding their investments in production facilities and 75% are increasing their development expenditures in the next six months. 

Printed electronics applied in numerous industries 

Thin, lightweight and flexible – these are the well-known characteristics of organic and printed electronics. These features enable applications in numerous areas. OE-A members in particular target the following sectors: consumer electronics, medical and pharmaceutical, automotive and lighting. 

Hecker continued: “Mobility remains an important topic for the printed electronics industry. Particularly in the automotive and aviation industries, printed electronic components open up a multitude of opportunities and possibilities. 

"In 2020, the focus of LOPEC, the leading international exhibition and conference for printed electronics, will also be on Smart Living. This once again underlines the enormous bandwidth of this technology and presents how products and applications of printed electronics will make our everyday lives simpler, smarter and more environmentally friendly in the future. For example in the form of fitness trackers, smart textiles, intelligent pharmaceutical packaging or flexible solar films.