FLEXMatters Initiative Launched at 2006 Society of Information Displays Conference
CLEVELAND and KENT (September 19, 2006) - John West, Ph.D, Vice President for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies at Kent State University and NorTech Fellow, today announced the new FLEXMatters Initiative to a global audience at the opening of the International Display Research (IRDC) Conference held at the Liquid Crystal Institute (LCI) on the campus of Kent State University.
FLEXMatters will build a new industrial cluster in Northeast Ohio based on manufacturing emerging products on flexible plastic substrates, including displays, complex electronics and solar cells. The goal of FLEXMatters is to create new industries, companies and jobs in the state of Ohio by leveraging existing technology strengths and assets. Northeast Ohio is poised to establish the early lead in this global race by assuring that the enabling technologies and manufacturers establish in this region.
According to West "The opportunity is based on this region's lead in liquid crystal display research and development complemented by Northeast Ohio's core industrial strengths in polymers and printing. Industrial research centers around the world, including here in Kent, are pursuing the development of these flexible devices; however the manufacturing base has yet to develop. We're aiming to develop that base here."
The silicon revolution of the 1980s was fostered by the development of the integrated circuits and thin film transistors that are the basis for all consumer electronics, ranging from the cell phones to large flat screen TVs. The displays and electronics in these devices are currently all produced using batch processing on rigid substrates. According to FLEXMatters, the future lies in producing these devices on flexible substrates using much more efficient roll-to-roll production techniques. Northeast Ohio's strong industrial base in plastics and printing, and leading research strengths in liquid crystals, polymers and engineering make it the logical home for this emerging industry.
A number of partners are joining FLEXMatters to support the development of this new cluster. These include NorTech, Kent State University, the Ohio Polymer Strategy Council, PolymerOhio, the Center for Multifunctional Polymer Nanomaterials and Devices (CMPND), the University of Akron and Team NEO.
Several local start-up companies are taking the lead in manufacturing flexible electronic devices. AlphaMicron was the first in the world to market a flexible liquid crystal lens. Their switchable lenses were incorporated in UVex Ski Goggles and won the Popular Science "Best of What's New" in 2004 award, http://www.alphamicron.com/. Applied Polymer Systems in Akron is providing specialized polymers that are made into flexible films that are applied to the latest flat screen LCD TVs, greatly enhancing their appearance. Kent Displays is currently providing production prototypes of flexible displays using a continuous roll-to-roll process with commercial introduction next year, http://www.kentdisplays.com/.
While flexible liquid crystal displays and related devices will be the first to reach the market, the core manufacturing techniques developed will be the basis of other new industries. Northeast Ohio is already attracting the attention of companies with complementary skills outside the region to move here in order to be near the emergence of this new industry.
Unlike semiconductors, this region is the natural home for this emerging industry. "The competition will be fierce, and if we are to capitalize on our early lead we must aggressively seize the opportunity," said Thomas Waltermire, CEO of Team NEO. "To succeed we must market our strengths, effectively address our weaknesses and collaborate across institutions, industries and the region."
"Our vision is that Northeast Ohio will lead the world in flexible device manufacturing and that FLEXMatters will foster a culture of innovation and entrepreneurial spirit," said Dorothy Baunach, President and CEO of NorTech. "Such a culture will foster the creation of new companies, new technology development in existing companies and more spin-offs from both over time, all resulting in new and good-paying jobs for the region."
The FLEXMatters initiative is funded by a grant from the Fund for Our Economic Future (http://www.futurefundneo.org/), a collaboration among 80 philanthropic organizations from across Northeast Ohio to encourage and advance an agenda for regional economic transformation. The Fund's grant is providing critical early support to catalyze this initiative and to attract partners and the additional funding required for further development.
For more information about FLEXMatters, please visit http://www.flexmatters.org/