Who is OE-A – Organic and Printed Electronics Association

OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association) is the leading international industry association for the emerging technology of organic and printed electronics. Representing the entire value chain, OE-A provides a unique platform for local and international cooperation between companies and research institutes. OE-A is a working group within VDMA.

Vision

Flexible, organic and printed electronics are widely implemented for the benefit and value of society and industry.

The collective knowledge and perspective of OE-A provides a compass for new products, applications, and opportunities driven by flexible, organic and printed electronics. Our broad, international network – representing the entire value chain – brings innovations to the market, promoting sustainable development of both economy and society, supported by a strong foundation of active research and development.

Mission

OE-A facilitates an international network, fosters and advocates the flexible, organic and printed electronics community, and seeks cooperation with other markets and technical communities.

OE-A fosters collaboration and promotes information exchange among all international participants along the entire value chain, with a special focus on connecting with end-users. We project the industry’s growth, providing a forecast for the main application areas and technologies and identify hurdles yet to be overcome. We define R&D funding programs as well as support and coordinate industrial R&D, providing demonstrations of various application possibilities. The development of education and training programs that meet the industry’s needs creates opportunities for new experts. OE-A supports international standardization processes, and dedicated guidelines for device characterization and testing methods. We promote our members and technologies via a multitude of media outlets and organization, participating and organizing international events. OE-A represents the industry and its interests at national and regional governments, as well as within bodies of the European Commission.

Values

OE-A’s core values serve as a compass for our actions and describe how we behave in the world. We strive to uphold these in all aspects of our function:

Respectful

We treat each other and our communities with sincerity, and recognize that it is our differences which make us stronger.

Collaborative

We are working together with various stakeholders from different sectors to exchange information, ideas, and lessons learned.

Committed

We are working hard to achieve our goals and feel responsible for our (in)actions. We are always looking ahead, but also reflect back to learn from our outcomes.

Focused

We know exactly what we want and aim to reach our target to meet the needs of our members and industry. With our world view, we get out into the market and listen, observe as well as learn.

Integrative

We are on top of the latest developments and innovations in our field and are including a wide range of sectors.

Adaptive

In order to work smart we work efficiently and remain responsive to change. We have the courage to change course when necessary and we continue to improve ourselves.

The OE-A values a culture that is open, creative, fun, passionate, and inclusive for our members and the community.

Key Activities

OE-A offers many activities to further strengthen and develop the organic and printed electronics industry. Additionally, OE-A members are supported in meaningful ways and provided with numerous exclusive benefits.

Fostering collaboration and promoting information exchange among all international players along the entire value chain.

Projecting the industry’s growth, providing a forecast for the main application areas and technologies, as well as identifying hurdles yet to be overcome.

Defining R&D funding programs, supporting and coordinating industrial R&D, and organizing projects that develop and demonstrate the various application possibilities.

Developing education and training programs that meet the industry’s needs, relying heavily on the input of industry experts.

Supporting international standardization processes as well as developing dedicated guidelines for device characterization and testing methods.

Promoting the innovations and developments in the industry through a multitude of media outlets and participation in events.

Representing the industry and its interests at national and regional governments, as well as within bodies of the European Commission.

OE-A Members

Well over 200 members from Europe, Asia, North America and Africa are working together to promote the establishment of a competitive production infrastructure for organic and printed electronics.

Our members are:

Component & material suppliers
Equipment & tool suppliers
Producers & system integrators
End-users
Research institutes & universities

OE-A members represent the entire organic and printed electronics value chain.

OE-A Member overview

Collaborations within VDMA

VDMA Working Group

OE-A is a working group within VDMA – the Mechanical Engineering Industry Association – located in Frankfurt, Germany.
VDMA represents more than 3,1400, mostly medium-sized, companies in the capital goods industry, making it the largest industry association in Europe. VDMA is divided into 15 cross-sector departments, with branch offices in Berlin and Brussels, liaison offices in Brazil, China, India, Japan and Russia, 38 trade associations and working groups, international committees and forums, six state associations and numerous service organizations.

In order to strengthen synergies within VDMA as well as to encourage knowledge exchange, OE-A is working together with other VDMA associations and working groups on specific topics. These partner associations provide sector-specific expertise to their member companies, many of which are business partners to the organic and printed electronics industry. This not only ensures the best services for our members, but also enables and supports the (further) development of new ideas, technologies and partnerships.

OE-A is assigned to the VDMA sector association EMINT (Electronics, Micro and Nano Technologies), which also includes the sector groups Productronic, Micro Technologies, Photovoltaic Equipment and Battery Production.

The VDMA sector association DUP (Printing and Paper Technology) is the voice of the manufacturers of machinery and systems for prepress, printing and post-print processes, paper production and paper converting as well as components and devices.

The VDMA working group AM (Additive Manufacturing) offers its members from industry and scientific research a variety of services related to industrial 3D printing technologies.ies.

The VDMA sector association NUV (Food Processing & Packaging Machinery) represents a very heterogenous industry and has therefore a broad, manifold product portfolio.

The main activities of the VDMA sector association TXM (Textile Machinery) are economic and technical representation of the branch’s interests, exchange of experiences as well as market information and active support regarding political decisions.

The VDMA competence center Future Business aims to recognize trends and disruptions at an early stage in order to secure the future for our industry as well as support the strategic development of new business segments.

The VDMA Startup Machine is an initiative that recognizes the value of start-ups as they turn trends into new technologies and products which are interesting for the machinery industry. Both sides are being brought together – matchmaking with relevance.

The Photonics Forum represents the diversity and breadth of the VDMA “all about the medium of light” on a theme-oriented platform: it bundles and networks the competencies and know-how of six VDMA branches and promotes synergies for the benefit of its members through cross-technology and cross-industry exchange. As the central point of contact for the sectors, the Photonics Forum is committed to a strong positioning of the key photonics technology.

FAQ

Some Frequently Asked Questions are answered for you here.

Organic and printed electronics stands for a revolutionary new type of electronics – also called “emerging electronics” – which is thin, lightweight, flexible, robust, and produced at low cost. “Emerging electronics” means electronics beyond the classic silicon approach, including flexible, printed electronics from organic, polymeric or inorganic materials.

More info

With regular OE-A Meetings in Europe, North America and Asia, OE-A supports its members with an effective networking and communication platform, fostering collaboration and promoting information exchange among all players along the value chain. OE-A is also present at various international conferences and trade shows.

More info

OE-A offers many activities to further strengthen and develop the organic and printed electronics industry. OE-A members are thereby supported in meaningful ways and provided with numerous exclusive benefits. As OE-A member you can make use of a wide array of tools, services and platforms in favor of your organization and products.

More info

Both established organizations as well as start-ups in the field of organic and printed electronics are welcome to join OE-A.

More info

LOPEC, jointly organized by OE-A and Messe München, is the leading Printed Electronics exhibition and conference where participants from all over the world demonstrate their outstanding range of technologies – spanning from pioneering research through to applications in-production. This international event defines a new level of excellence by facilitating knowledge-transfer and inspiring innovation throughout the sector, thereby generating new businesses, partnerships and product ideas between and for leaders along the entire value chain.

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