The Ups and Downs of Printed Electronics: In Search of Technology and Business Applications (Printed Electronics & Photovoltaics Europe 2010)

Dr. Tolis Voutsas is an expert on thin film electronics and monolithic/bilithic electronic system integration. Dr. Voutsas received his Ph.D. degree in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University in 1994 with a doctoral thesis on advanced poly-Si material and device technologies for active-matrix LCDs. That same year he joined SHARP Labs. Over the next 20 years he has participated in and led a wide variety of R&D projects across the whole spectrum of material, process, device, and system development for flat panel displays and sensor arrays. He has been responsible for several technology transfers to large-volume manufacturing and has led initiatives in the space of flexible and wearable electronics. In 2000 he received an M.S. degree in Management of Technology from Washington State University. He has authored over 60 papers in peer-reviewed journals, 3 book chapters, and has been awarded over 100 US patents. Dr. Voutsas currently serves as a Director at SHARP Labs with main responsibility the development of new business opportunities, through leveraging existing technology assets and competencies and supplementing them through external partnerships.

Sharp Laboratories of Europe (SLE) was founded in 1990 to develop new ideas and technology for Sharp products and to support Sharp business in Europe. SLE is a UK private limited company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Sharp Corporation. Research and development areas range from IT through optical devices to display electronics, optics, PV, health and energy storage. SLE has an excellent record of technology transfer starting with 5 million unit sales of a neural network microwave oven in 1994, invented in Oxford University, developed at SLE and manufactured at Sharp's factory in Wrexham. SLE was instrumental in the development of Sharp's red and blue laser diodes for CD and DVD players, demonstrating the world's first laser diode by MBE in 2004. In 2009 a new energy and environment group was established in SLE, the energy team develops and demonstrates novel energy storage devices and energy management tools for a low carbon, high energy efficiency, European consumer market. Climate change remains a challenge for mankind and the future energy strategy is being debated. We are developing advanced solar solutions that will offer consumers combined heat and power. We also have activities to develop new technology to deliver fresh business models in the energy arena and in collaboration with partners are developing future energy technologies for storage and services. In particular SLE has been investigating next generation batteries for stationary energy storage, and is looking at different business models and cases for residential energy storage systems.