After several month intense preparations, the 3rd Chinese Printed Electronics Symposium was held in Suzhou on 13-14 September 2012, in conjunction with the Suzhou International Forum on Nanotechnology (ChiNano 2012). The Symposium is the 3rd in the series after the first in 2010 and the second in 2011. The Symposium series has seen a steady increase of attendee number, reaching nearly 150 this year, a big surge compared to last year.

This year’s Symposium invited a number of prominent overseas speakers. They are Professor Toshihide Kamata, Director of Flexible Electronics Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan; Professor Yibing Cheng, Monash University, Australia, Elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology; Professor Frderik C. Krebs, Technical University of Denmark; Dr. Ju Hwan Choi, Korea Printed Electronics Center (KPEC); Professor Beng Ong, Hong Kong Baptist University; Professor Emil J.W. List, Graz University of Technology, Austria; Dr. Jie Zhang, Institute of Materials Research and Engineering (IMRE) in A*STAR, Singapore; Dr. Jukka T. Hast, VTT Technical Research Center of Finland; Dr. Lain-Jong Li, Institute of Atomic and Molecular Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taiwan. They reported their own research, as well as the printed electronics development in their own countries and regions.　

The Chinese speakers were from research groups in the Institute of Chemistry, Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Wuhang University, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Beijing Institute of Communication, South China University of Technology, and Shanghai Jiaotong University. In addition to the exchange of research results, the Symposium also invited representatives from the Chinese Industrial Alliance for Printed Electronics, Chinese Printed Circuits Association (CPCA), International Printed Circuits standardization body (IPC). There was also a talk given by a researcher from the Institute of Science and Technology information. Madam Zou Jing, who is a member of Chinese Academy of Engineering, also attended the Symposium.  

The presentations at the symposium covered a wide range of topics, ranging from organic and inorganic materials to devices for printed electronics. The highlight of this year’s symposium was the high quality presentations on printed photovoltaic and display. Professor Krebs of Technical University of Denmark, the world pioneer in printed photovoltaic, introduced his decade work in this area. Professor Yibing Cheng of Monash University of Australia told audience the activity of Australian national alliance for printed photovoltaic technology. On the display topic, the symposium had Dr. Jukka Hast of VTT Technical Research Center of Finland told audience printed OLED work at VTT. Professor Junbiao Peng reported their recent progress in printed OLED at South China University of Technology. Professor Jun Qian reported their printed trichromatic display development at Wuhan University. The symposium audience also got aware the printed electronics development in South Korea and Japan, thanks to the presentations given by Dr. Ju Hwan Choi from the Korean national printed electronics center (KPEC) and Professor Toshihide Kamata from Japanese Flexible Electronics Research Center. 

Another highlight of this symposium was the presentations from traditional printing industry and traditional printed circuit board manufacturers association (CPCA). They expressed their views on printed electronics and also raised the questions how traditional industries can get involved in printed electronics. The general secretary of Chinese Industrial Alliance for Printed Electronics gave his view on the future prospective of the industrialization of printed electronics in China.

Apart from oral presentations, the symposium also had a big surge in the number of poster presentations. Compared to only 7 posters last year, the symposium received 24 posters this year, showing considerable increase in printed electronics research activities in China. During the symposium there was also a parallel exhibition featuring printed electronics at the conference venue. 

In general, the Symposium has continued its success as previous ones. It demonstrated that printed electronics has taken root in China, as Professor Zheng Cui, the symposium chairman, put it. Professor Zheng Cui thanked all the speakers and attendees at the end of symposium and suggested that with more researchers getting involved in field, there should be parallel oral sessions in next year’s symposium, to give young researchers and students opportunities to present their research. Finally, Professor Zheng Cui announced that the International Conference on Flexible and Printed Electronics (ICFPE) will come to China in 2014. He hoped the Chinese research community to work hard and to do more in the next two years, so that China can demonstrate its strength and achievements in printed electronics in ICFPE 2014.

Venue of the 3rd Chinese Printed Electronics Symposium

Prof. Yibing Cheng, Monash University, Australia, invited speaker

Dr. Ju Hwan Choi, Korean Printed Electronics Center, invited speaker

Dr. Jukka T. Hast, VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, invited speaker

Prof. Toshihide Kamata, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan, invited speaker

Prof. Frederik C. Krebs, Technical University of Denmark, invited speaker

Prof. Emil J.W. List, Graz University of Technology, Austria, invited speaker