EMERGE overview
A Pioneer Research Infrastructure open to all
Emerging Printed Electronics Research Infrastructure (EMERGE) is an EC funded action aiming to establish the first integrated, distributed research infrastructure supporting comprehensive user projects for multi-and-trans-disciplinary research on sustainable flexible large-area printed electronics and photonics (FLAPEP). This introductory presentation will present the overall project, objectives, organization of the network and how users from academia, RTOs, industry and SMEs can get free-of-charge access to world-leading infrastructures to develop short projects related to FLAPEP.
Networking activities
Knowledge and Best Practice Hub (KBest) as an opensource knowledge platform
EMERGE has created an innovative information and data management platform with embedded artificial intelligence (AI) functionalities for green flexible large area printed electronics and photonics defined as “Knowledge & Best Practice Hub” (KBest) that is accessible from EMERGE users. KBest will establish a platform and metadata standard for data sharing as an open collaborative initiative within the framework of the Research Data Alliance. KBest in his full development will provide information extracted from data as an automatic analysis and prediction tool, assisting in the learning procedure that can prompt innovation in an unprecedented manner for various innovation-oriented communities enabling the Knowledge acquired by a team to be shared throughout the Open Science platform and finally enabling step by step progressing in a common lexicon.
Transnational activities
From design and simulation to fabrication and characterization of demonstrators
EMERGE users have access in an integrated manner, to four available typologies of TA that are based on the integration of experimental and theoretical facilities.
TA1: Access to design, modelling and simulation facilities addresses projects oriented on high-resolution multiscale process simulations, as well as machine learning based on artificial intelligence (AI) approaches giving insight and guidelines for novel material growth, functional design, and fabrication.
TA2: Access to materials synthesis and characterization facilities is devoted to faster, cheaper and more sustainable (e.g., bio-based) ink & pastes formulation with improved quality control dedicated to specific applications.
TA3: Access to prototypes fabrication facilities focuses on highly efficient production of sophisticated and complex FLAPEP systems with high conformability and integrability dedicated to specific application needs allowing upscaling and technology transfer processes towards industrial production.
TA4: Access to demonstrators’ test, validation and characterization aims to establish performance and stability tests under industrial protocols in simulated and real conditions for various types of devices using a wide variety of available characterization methods aiming at specifying universal metrology protocols.
Joint research activities
Joint research activities as enablers of EMERGE improvement and expansion
The Emerge partners are developing some novel services by cooperating within the framework of three joint research activities (JRAs).
JRA1: Research on hybrid printing setups with quantitative in-line measurement methods for high precision fabrication of bio-nano systems and it deals with artificial neuronal networks fabricated by screen-printed OECT circuits, stand-alone wearable biosensors and R2R-based molecular imprinting for antimicrobial and/or cell-binding foil surfaces.
JRA2: Research on high throughput novel inks/pastes synthesis is devoted to the joint development of novel ink formulations and processing techniques for printed electronics.
JRA3: Research on functional 3D printing for multifunctional smart objects with interactive free-form surfaces focusses on realising a smart multi-functional 3D printed object with some components embedded and others integrated in a direct-to-shape approach on the curved surface with a 5-axis combined inkjet and Aerosoljet
printing machine.
