Printing the Future: Flexible Electronics Powering the Internet of Things

Dr. Janos Veres, head of Parc’s Novel and Printed Electronics program, explains how printing can transform electronics manufacturing to meet the growing demands of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Traditional “electronics‑in‑a‑box” solutions are ill‑suited for the diverse, custom devices required in wearables, automotive systems, and other IoT applications. We must move beyond mass production and embrace on‑demand, bespoke fabrication.

Flexible and conformal electronics are the linchpin of this shift. Over the past two decades, printed electronics have been used for low‑cost mass‑produced items such as displays, RFID tags, sensors, and interface panels. Automotive firms have begun exploring in‑mould electronics, and printed memory has been shown to be manufacturable with existing tools.

Achieving the same cost and performance as established silicon‑based products has been challenging. Yet recent advances demonstrate that flexible, printed, and hybrid electronics can deliver niche products and unique form factors that were previously unattainable.

Internet of Smart Things

Print‑based electronics enable mass customisation, merging form and function in unprecedented ways. Rather than competing with silicon, we now view it as one component in a broader toolkit.

Printing becomes an integration technique that combines soft and hard materials, allowing on‑demand production of customised devices at low cost. New materials and design freedom are exciting for manufacturers. For example, smart packaging is emerging, with companies like Thin Film Electronics and PragmatIC integrating NFC (Near‑Field Communication) into packaging.

Embedding sensors and data‑processing chips in packaging can monitor environmental parameters—temperature, humidity, CO₂—crucial for pharmaceuticals and other sensitive products. Smart packaging offers improved quality, reduced waste, simplified inspections, and dynamic pricing, leading to substantial time and cost savings.

Stretchable Electronics on the Horizon

We anticipate that flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) systems—printed multilayer PCBs paired with thinned chips—will become mainstream. Printing allows on‑demand fabrication over large areas and layer‑by‑layer integration, paving the way for flexible, soft, and even stretchable devices.

Printed electronics could eventually power devices as complex as mobile phones, but several hurdles remain. New, cost‑effective materials must replace expensive silver inks; printed copper and alternative conductive inks are promising candidates.

Achieving true stretchability demands breakthroughs in material science. Some experts envision microchips being transformed into inks, enabling rapid, on‑demand circuit fabrication—a radical paradigm shift that will require novel circuit‑design approaches.

The Printed Future

In our vision, a printed FHE ecosystem will enable custom solutions—from small sensors to large‑scale systems—embedding intelligence directly into everyday objects. Sensors embedded in automotive and aerospace frames will enhance safety, while soft robotics, prosthetics, and health‑monitoring patches will become more accessible.

By simplifying design and fabrication, printed electronics will accelerate progress across the entire electronics and IoT landscape.

Author: Dr. Janos Veres, Parc