Flexible and Hybrid Electronics

The IVAM Focus Group Flexible and Hybrid Electronics is an association of the two Focus Groups Wearable Electronics and Hybrid Organic Electronics and is mainly geared to electronically enhanced textiles (including wearables based on textiles, geotextiles, and construction textiles) as well as hybrid electronics, but it also includes other unconventional and conventional substrate materials. 

Organic electronics help realizing large-area, flexible and even stretchable smart applications. However, various functions, such as complex sensors or evaluating processor units are still realized by conventional silicon technology. Combining both creates hybrid systems, which are the main topics in the Focus Group “Flexible and Hybrid Electronics”. There is a special potential given with the integration of sensors in textiles because this enables e.g. the wireless connectivity at one’s body. Costs and sustainability are probably still the biggest challenges for the acceptance and future of smart textiles or wearables. 

The IVAM Focus Group will also deal with topics like data management, energy supply and functional reliability of systems. There is especially need for research in the fields of interfaces, robustness, miniaturization, and power supply of wearables. Further aims are, among others, internationalizing existing activities of the participants, collaborating with other Focus Groups or external networks, or contributing to standardization processes in this still very young technology.

The activities in this Focus Group outstandingly complement IVAM’s key topics and are specifically well tied in with the Focus Group Medical Technology.

Chairperson: 

Erik Jung, Business Development Unit, Fraunhofer IZM

IVAM members can log in to their member accounts to read and to download all documents of the Focus Group. Focus Group participants who are not members of IVAM can contact electronics@ivam.de to get information.