VTT

Steady Energy

Steady Energy is a Finnish startup developing nuclear reactors for district heating.

Emerging Recyclable Materials for PCBs

Conventional printed circuit board (PCB) manufacturing is wasteful, harmful to the environment and energy intensive. This can be mitigated by the implementation of new recyclable materials and technologies, which have the potential to revolutionize electronics manufacturing.

Innovations in Sustainable Electronics Manufacturing

The electronics market is vast, with integrated circuits (ICs) being the third most traded product globally, presenting significant opportunities for sustainable electronics innovation. Action is currently being undertaken by many well-known electronics manufacturers to improve the sustainability and efficiency of their products. This includes water management strategies for semiconductor manufacturing, with over 500 billion liters of water used annually by the industry.

Avantium: Volta Technology

Avantium develops and commercializes chemistry technologies across industry value chains in order to produce chemicals and materials based on renewable feedstock instead of fossil fuels. One of its technologies, Volta Technology, is a carbon capture and utilization (CCU) solution that uses electrochemical carbon dioxide reduction to produce organic acids.

Carbonaide

Carbonaide are a technology provider that produce CO₂ curing solutions for precast concrete manufacturers. In September 2023, IDTechEx Technology Analyst Eve Pope spoke to COO Jonne Hirvonen.

Wearable Quantum Sensors Measure Brain Activity While We Sleep & Move

New quantum sensors measuring brain activity have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of how humans respond to sleep, movement, diet, and aging.

VTT Manufacturing (Quantum Technologies)

Tess Skyrme, Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, interviewed the Research Manager for Microelectronics Pursula Pekka about VTT's involvement in quantum technology development, specifically manufacturing quantum sensors.

VTT

VTT is a Finnish research center with significant activities within printed electronics. IDTechEx caught up with Solution Sales Lead Antti Kemppainen to learn more about recent developments to the roll-to-roll pilot manufacturing line for wearable stretchable electronics with directly mounted components.

IQM

IQM is developing superconducting quantum computing hardware, selling hardware for on-premises access to a full-stack solution.

European-Sponsored Project to Increase Sustainability of Electronics

TNO at Holst Centre in Eindhoven hosted the kick-off of the ECOTRON project, which has been set up to reach a sustainable electronics production process through hybrid printed electronics. In short, ECOTRON aims to create more sustainable electronics by using printing and dismantling techniques that allow low-energy production processes and a circular build-up of materials that are potentially of 'renewable' or compostable origin.

VTT

At the recent PRINSE'22 Conference, Finnish Research Center VTT demonstrated a wide range of printed electronics prototypes, including wearable electronics and electrochromic displays. IDTechEx was also able to visit its facility, including a R2R pilot line.

Biomensio

Biomensio is an early stage Finnish company that has developed an innovative mobile biosensing technology, based on an array of quartz-crystal microbalances functionalized with bio-receptors. IDTechEx caught up with Biomensio at the PRINSE'22 conference.

The Warming Surfaces Company

The Warming Surfaces Company is an early-stage spin-out from Finnish research institute VTT. It produces flexible substrates with die cut copper traces to provide integrated heating for floors, walls, and furniture. IDTechEx spoke to representatives from the company and interacted with some prototypes at the PRINSE'22 conference.

New Cable Corporation

New Cable Corporation has developed flat cables based on etched copper on flexible substrates, produced via continuous roll-to-roll manufacturing. IDTechEx caught up with CDO Antti Backman at the PRINSE'22 conference.

Could Graphene by the Answer to the Semiconductor Shortage?

Semiconductors, which date back to the 19th century, are used everywhere in electronic devices, from automobile systems and air conditioners to laser treatment in cutting-edge medical systems. The continuing global shortage in semiconductors impacts how high-tech products are made around the world — the automotive industry alone is expected to lose $210 billion in revenue, with major players like BMW, Volkswagen and Ford already reporting the effects.

Dispelix

Dispelix is a Finnish firm designing surface relief grating diffractive waveguides for consumer augmented reality devices. Unlike other companies' designs, they use a single waveguide layer for full RGB color — this helps to decrease weight but increases design complexity. Its in-house design software was developed specifically to solve this issue. The company is in the process of scaling production with its fab partners.

2D Experimental Pilot Line to Test Graphene-Based Sensors

The 2D Experimental Pilot Line has launched its first customisable wafer run. As one of five multi-project wafer runs, this first phase targets sensor applications. Companies, universities and research institutes can include their designs as dies on joint wafers, to test their ideas for devices on a larger scale at relatively low costs.

Fraunhofer FEP

At LOPEC 2022, Fraunhofer FEP outlined the EU-funded "Smart2Go" project that aimed to create a "platform for energy supply, harvesting and storage" for printed/flexible electronics.

CEA-LITEN

CEA-LITEN is part of the French research center CEA, based in Grenoble. It focuses on energy related technologies - this includes printed/flexible electronics and 3D printing. This profile is based on a visit by IDTechEx on 1 December 2021.