Feb 21 2019
The latest flexible and printed electronics innovations and trends take center stage as key players gather for critical industry insights at the co-located FLEX 2019 and MEMS & Sensors Technical Congress (MSTC) in Monterey, California over the next three days. Showcasing autonomous mobility sensors, the event features more than 100 market and technical presentations and 60 exhibits. See the full agenda.
Themed Building Outside the Box, FLEX 2019, the Flexible & Printed Electronics Conference and Exhibition, highlights new form factors enabled by advances in flexible, printed and hybrid electronics. MSTC, themed Sensor Systems Enabling Autonomous Mobility, showcases sensor innovations and emerging applications. The events cover a broad span of new applications and innovation drivers in key markets such as SMART Medtech, SMART Transportation and Internet of Things (IoT).
“Innovations in flexible electronics, MEMS and sensors bring profound benefits to the world we live in today, making cars safer, food healthier and air cleaner while providing numerous societal benefits through advances in healthcare,” SEMI president and CEO Ajit Manocha said today in his opening keynote. “SEMI is excited to gather key industry players to collaborate in developing systems with the higher intelligence critical to delivering even greater social good.”
Other keynote speakers highlighted critical challenges across several emerging applications and called on the flexible electronics industry to form partnerships to meet these needs:
John Deere Electronics Solutions – “There are many challenges in agriculture and the industry is betting on sensors and their autonomous systems to help us meet them,” said software technical manager Jason Jelinek. “Electronics designers need to understand the environment in which we operate and provide solutions that will survive and thrive in rugged, outdoor, highly-variable environment. I want to engage with anyone who can support this vision.” Related blog.
Rogers Research Group, Northwestern University – “The markets for biocompatible microfluidics and electronic wearables that are flexible and conformal to the human body are emerging right now and demand is significant and growing,” said Professor John Rogers. “Finding the right partner is crucial to developing the ultimate product that meets the needs of these emerging markets.” Related blog.
STMicroelectronics – “Greater accuracy and tight calibration are key to reaching autonomy, and MEMS technology offer the best possibilities for the needed breakthroughs in time and cost,” said Group VP Andrea Onetti, focusing on the MEMS sensor developments that are making autonomous driving and other applications a reality. “When specifying best sensor technology, these are critical requirements to keep in mind.” Related blog.
FLEX and MSTC share an exhibition, opening keynotes, panel discussion, networking events and short courses, with the events featuring separate technical sessions. Activities across both events are designed to connect attendees with the broadest group of subject matter experts and industry innovators.
FLEX 2019 and MSTC 2019 at a Glance
FLEX 2019 technical sessions spotlight innovations in flexible and printed electronics products, equipment and materials as well as unique electronics applications they deliver – from new battery structures and antennas to bio-medical devices. Follow FLEX 2019 on Twitter: #FLEX2019 and @flextechnews
MSTC 2019 sessions highlight wearables, point-of-care medical devices, food delivery, agriculture platforms, remote monitoring systems and other applications with stringent sensor, data storage, processing and transmission requirements. Follow MSTC on Twitter: #MSTC2019 and @MEMSGroup
The poster session highlights student projects related to flexible electronics or MEMS and sensors. The posters are evaluated for their scientific methods, command of the subject matter and usefulness of the ideas to the industry. Winners receive cash awards, plaques and recognition at the annual Awards ceremony at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20, 2019.