Building the Ohio Innovation Economy Summary of a Symposium (2013) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Panel VIII: Growing the Ohio Flexible Electronics Industry
Panel VIII: Growing the Ohio Flexible Electronics Industry
Pages 117-127
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 117... ...
He said that the presentations would be brief so as to leave time for more general discussion on what collaboration can do for a region and an industry. He began with a "quick definition" of flexible electronics as "simply electronic devices that are printed on flexible materials." This includes plastics, paper, and even fabrics, he said, and any other ways of making electronic devices "flexible, rollable, wearable, or formable." It also makes devices less costly to manufacture than traditional forms of electronics, as well as more durable and more energy-efficient.
|
From page 118... ...
We have to make sure this doesn't happen again. We have the leadership now, and we should claim it, hold it, and have the vision for the future." 17 He also cited Ken Werner, editor of Information Display, who wrote: "The only world-class center -- in my opinion, at least -- is Kent State University's Liquid Crystal Institute."
|
From page 119... ...
West expressed how fortunate he was as a young researcher to be at the Liquid Crystal Institute, "the best place in the world for liquid crystal displays when it was still an industrial curiosity." It has now become an industrial powerhouse, he said. "If you go anywhere in the world that is making LCDs, they'll tell you that the Liquid Crystal Institute at Kent State is simply the best.
|
From page 120... ...
That includes the polymer, the primary base that will provide the flexibility, as well as other functionalities, such as electrical conductivity, piezo-electric capabilities, and magnetic properties magnetic properties in nanostructure form with functional materials. These materials can be produced by roll-to-roll manufacturing, "the bread and butter of polymer science and polymer engineering." The state of the art today, he said, is to put
|
From page 121... ...
West had already described the contributions being made by Kent State in liquid crystals and other functional molecules, and that Case Western Reserve University had a polymer program that together with the University of Akron's program was "literally the largest in the world." The University of Akron specifically provides monomers and polymers in special designs, and the University of Akron has National Polymer Innovation Center for the roll-to-roll manufacturing.
|
From page 122... ...
"They can turn on a dime to produce new molecules when someone needs them, unlike the large companies." An additional component is Akron Polymer Training Center, specifically designed to educate technicians and engineers at the University of Akron campus. "Global Polymer Academy," he said, "has an even a bigger vision that focuses on K-12 students and high school teachers.
|
From page 123... ...
Dr. Green said that Kent Displays would soon introduce a product line known as Reflex LCD Electronic Skins, which is also aimed at new markets.
|
From page 124... ...
While a traditional LCD manufacturing plant typically costs a billion dollars or more, the Kent Displays production facility was built with a capital investment of several million dollars. MANUFACTURING OF CURVED LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICES Bahman Taheri AlphaMicron Dr.
|
From page 125... ...
The distributive knowledge base needs to be networked, both academically and industrially." This could be done by a regional organization with reasonable funding, he said, so that when somebody comes in with an idea to create a business, he can be guided through the maze of complexities: material development, process development, process design, and skills. Through NorTech and the other regional institutions, he noted, a sufficient knowledge base exists.
|
From page 126... ...
He said he had also negotiated many contracts in this technology with Samsung and LG in South Korea. He said that Taiwan was currently the more formidable competitor, with Korea somewhat "distracted by their own LCD industry." He said that the innovation culture in northeast Ohio, being "particularly American, does not translate well elsewhere, and they really do look to the U.S., and amazingly, to northeast Ohio, for leadership in these areas.
|
From page 127... ...
The second was the LCD industry, where there were many opportunities in small markets, niche markets, and unexpected applications developed over the course of 40 years." He said he thought the flexible electronics industry would follow this second course, "and I think we have to have that patience and continued investment." Dr. Taheri agreed, and said that what was holding the industry back now was "purely money.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.