Survey of the Organic & Large Area Electronics Value Chain in Europe

Urgent request for your collaboration !
 
Prior to the start of the FP7 Co-ordination and Support Action called COLAE in which PETEC is a partner, Ed van den Kieboom of Innovation Fab in the Netherlands would like to ask for your collaboration to investigate the availability and strength of the organic and large area (OLAE) value chains and network in Europe through an on-line survey.

This will take only 15 minutes of your time and you have until 31^st August to complete it. 

This will be a small step for you but will mean a giant step for the OLAE community.

Your cooperation is very highly appreciated. Please go to www.innovationfab.com., and click on the "OLAE Value Chain Survey" tab at the top of the web page.
 
Introduction.
 
Several applications within the technology area of OLAE are entering the phase of commercialisation. OLED displays and lighting in the forefront. Now it becomes of imminent importance for the European OLAE stakeholders community to maintain its pole position and to capitalise on its generated know-how and competences. The continued support of the EC and the EU member state authorities in OLAE research & development, was instrumental to create this leading position over the last decade.
Now it is time to put this expertise to work for the future prosperity of Europe!

Objective.

It becomes important to make the shift from public funded research towards manufacturing and commercialisation.  For that reason we need to know the strengths and weaknesses of the value chains and value networks in the specific OLAE application areas.
Ed van de Kieboom has adopted and tailored the methodology developed and deployed by Dr Zella King of the University of Reading in the UK and Dr. Cathy Curling of Curling Consulting, in their "Mapping Technological Competence in Plastic Electronics in the UK and Germany" of 2008 [See www.printedelectronics.net].
This new OLAE survey is to elaborate further on the results and insights achieved in 2008, and to draw a picture of Europe as a whole based on the same and proven methodology. Both Ed's and the original UK/Germany survey starts with identifying the areas of expertise, and to indicate areas of compatibility/incompatibility between different value chain partners/players.

The objective of this first edition of the OLAE value chain analysis is to generate a snap-shot and to identify possible white spots, road blocks, incompatibilities etc. on the way. This is important in order to advise the EC and EU member state policy makers - in reference to FP8 OLAE Road Mapping and for OLAE R&D support schemes in the future. It is even more important to facilitate compatible partnerships for commercialisation within and across the European OLAE stakeholder community.
 
Context.
 
This survey is mandated by and is executed under the authority of the European Technology Platform Photonics21, Workgroup 4 on "Emerging Lighting, Electronics & Displays". Interests of the European OLAE community are represented by and integrated in the Photonics21 community, which now encompasses a membership of over 1600 professionals in the field of photonics and electronics.
The first results of this OLAE value chain survey and analysis will be presented at the bi-annual meeting of Photonics21 WG4 in Lyon/France on September 28, 2011.
Additionally, as a contributor,  you will receive by email,  a version of the outcome of the survey in pdf file format, from Ed and his team once it becomes available.