A new printed electronics company in Linz, Austria

Printed batteries and printed displays will be the first products of prelonic technologies OG, a new High-Tech company recently founded in Linz, Austria. Started by entrepreneurs experienced in printed electronics, RFID and Material Sciences the company aims to produce first products in 2008. This new company will strengthen the position of Linz as one of the European High-Tech centres for printed Electronics.

 

The venture capital based company will close the gap which emerged in printed electronics. Most of the companies, active in printed electronics, focus to high-end applications and are successfully developing for years now different demanding applications like high resolution displays, solar cells or sensors.

 

Besides these striking high tech applications some other areas are ready for instant commercialisation which could already be used for products.

 

"prelonic will not enter a 5-year development phase to be able to access the market with products in year 6. We will start very fast with low-end products and target applications where the requirements already meet the performance of the products. This will be the way to start fast and to be ready for mass production in a short time. High end products will be produced later on, when technology is mature and processes are optimized." Friedrich Eibensteiner, CEO of prelonic, is describing the strategy.

 

The processes employed will consist mainly of conventional printing processes, combined with a proprietary and patented production process optimized for mass production.

 

The first printed element will be a printed battery, fully printed, paper thin and environmental friendly. The printed battery will be used in products like smart cards, RFID transponders and other thin, flat products.

 

The battery is seen as the central element of many applications.

 

"Electronics get mobile. In the near future not only discrete electronic devices will guide us, but electronics will be integrated to everyday life things like clothing or packaging. This creates the need for grid independent power - a battery" Friedrich Eibensteiner states. These will be produced by prelonic.

 

Besides printed batteries also other elements will be produced by printing. prelonic filed some patent applications describing the developed production process for batteries, displays and other electronic elements which will reduce costs significantly for mass production.

 

In 2008 a German subsidiary will be founded, to co-ordinate the co-operation with important German industry partners.

 

 

Dr. Friedrich Eibensteiner, CEO is founder of prelonic. He is an innovative entrepreneur with 10 years of experience in building up high tech companies. Prior to starting prelonic he was managing and growing high tech companies in the fields of printed electronics and transponder technology. He completed his PhD at the Johannes Kepler University of Linz after his studies of Technical Chemistry and Economics. Leaving the University he worked from 1994 to 1997 with a consulting company in the environmental and agricultural area. From 1997 to 2000 he ran his own consulting company (SYSAN - Systemic answers) in the technology segments Biotechnology and Systems Analysis, before he joined the Trierenberg Group and built up the Systems Integrator for Transponder Technology TRICON. Before founding prelonic he was CEO and Managing Director of the Nanoident Organic FAB GmbH which he built up.

 

André Kreutzer, CTO is also a founder of prelonic. Besides his innovative strengths he was working years on the interface of material science and printed electronics. After his Master studies in engineering at the University of Applied Sciences Mittweida he started his career at the Schreiner Group, in the area of security label development. Afterwards he set up the battery printing technology at KSW Microtec, a leading RFID and microelectronics company. 2006/07 he used his outstanding know-how in the electronic printing technology to work as consultant for technology and process development in printed electronics. His clients were mainly American systems integrators for printed electronic systems.

 

prelonic technologies OG

Dr. Friedrich Eibensteiner

+43 664 67686 246

Hafenstrasse 47-51

4020 Linz, Austria

 

Top image prelonics printed battery

 

For more on printed batteries and displays and to hear a presentation on this exciting new company by Dr Eibensteiner, attend Printed Electronics Europe 2008 or read Printed and Thin Film Photovoltaics and Batteries.