SEMI has acquired the Plastics Electronics Conference and Exhibition, a move which will help advance the successful commercialization of new products in the field of organic and inorganic large area electronics (OLAE). The Plastics Electronics Conference, organized by a prestigious committee of industry and academic leaders, has co-located with SEMICON Europa since 2010. Following the acquisition, the organizing committee will serve as a Plastic Electronics Special Interest Group, guiding SEMI activities and services worldwide.
OLAE promises a large market potential of over $50 billion by 2020 according to the Bank of America, Merrill Lynch and several other research organizations. The technology is an answer to many challenges in our society with regard to renewable energy, environment protection, information, entertainment, communication, e-mobility, health and more. OLAE covers five important areas — OLED Lighting, Organic and Inorganic Photovoltaic, OLED Displays, Organic Electronics and Integrated Smart Systems — which all have a similar disruptive technology in common.
The Plastic Electronics Special Interest Group (PE-SIG) will be governed by distinguished board members from leading industry corporations, research institutes and academia, including executives from BASF, Merck, Technical University of Dresden, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and others. The PE-SIG of SEMI will focus its activities on Roadmaps, Standardization, Industry Research and Statistics, Conferences, Exhibitions and Public Policy worldwide. The 8th edition of the Electronic Conference and Exhibition will be held in conjunction with SEMICON Europa in Dresden (9-11 October 2012) and will be extended to other regions in the future.
“The SEMI track record of using global industry collaboration, advocacy and standards to expand and optimize major industries such as semiconductors, displays, solar PV, and related technologies will greatly help the emerging OLAE industry to move from lab to fab,” says Dr. Karl Hahn, senior vice-president of BASF and board member of the newly established PE-SIG. “There are substantial synergies between technologies, equipment, materials, and services among SEMI member companies and the rapidly developing OLAE industry,” says Thomas Morrow, head of Emerging Markets at SEMI Headquarters.