Mar 12 2010
"With its 135 members all over the world, the OE-A has become a highly dynamic and constantly growing network of leading international companies and institutes in the past five years", said Wolfgang Mildner, Chairman of the OE-A and Managing Director, PolyIC GmbH & Co. KG, Germany, on the occasion of the 5th anniversary celebration of the OE-A - the industry association for organic and printed electronics - in late February at the Holst Centre in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
Organic Photovoltaic Cell.
In December 2004, 35 members founded this working group within VDMA. "One of the founding principles of the OE-A five years ago was the goal to build an international industry association to jointly develop this future multi-billion Euro market", emphasized the Chairman of the OE-A. "Cooperation all along the value chain is essential in this phase; no company can achieve it alone."
Organic photovoltaics, OLED lighting, flexible displays, printed memory, RFID or sensors, as well as integrated smart systems are just a few examples of new applications which are made possible by organic and printed electronics.
Network has driven international cooperation
"When OE-A was created five years ago, printed electronics was an industry known to a small number of pioneering companies," said Andrew W. Hannah, Vice Chairman of OE-A and CEO of Plextronics. "Now, we are part of a global industry and OE-A has led the way in that transformation. The OE-A has helped raise the visibility of printed electronics which is invaluable to its member companies."
OE-A continues to grow activities in Asia
The next step in globalization after OE-A's inception in Europe and establishing the North American office in 2008 is the continued growth of activities in Asia. An important milestone is the recent addition of Sumitomo Chemical, a leading company from Japan, to the OE-A. "Sumitomo Chemical has joined OE-A in the belief that for an emerging technology such as organic electronics, a strong body representing the interests of companies engaged in the technology is essential," said Dr. David Fyfe, Sumitomo Chemical, Tokyo, Japan. "We have chosen OE-A in view of its growing global strength."