OE-A Business Climate Survey Presented at LOPEC 2024: Printed Electronics Industry Remains Positive but Cautious in 2024

The results of the latest OE-A Business Climate Survey show slightly lower expectations for 2024 compared to the projections made in the 2023 surveys. However, the decline is at a high level: For 2024, responding association members expect a 13 percent increase in revenue for the flexible and printed electronics industry. The results were presented on March 6 at LOPEC 2024 in Munich.

"Our industry is even more confident in 2025, with an estimated growth of 17 percent. The relatively young Printed Electronics industry has come a long way in the last 15 years. I am convinced that we are on the right track, despite the challenging geopolitical situation," said Dr. Alain Schumacher, OE-A Vice Chairman and Chief Technology Officer at IEE in Luxembourg. The results of the OE-A Business Climate Survey were presented at the international press conference at LOPEC 2024 in Munich (Germany). The bi-annual survey is conducted by the Organic and Printed Electronics Association (OE-A), an international working group within VDMA, located in Frankfurt am Main (Germany). For each survey, OE-A member organizations from the entire value chain, from R&D to material suppliers to end users, are asked to provide qualitative data on the state of the industry, expected sales development and markets.

The positive picture is reinforced by the fact that 74 percent of respondents expect further growth and development in 2024 (Oct. 2023: 46%). This increase shows that the printed electronics industry is convinced that impulses will come from the targeted end-user industries such as Consumer Electronics, Automotive, Medical & Pharmaceutical and Packaging.

OE-A Expects 13 Percent Revenue Growth by 2024

With expected revenue growth of 13 percent, the printed electronics community is slightly less optimistic than in the fall of 2023 (+18 percent). By 2025, the industry's outlook brightens to an expected revenue growth of 17 percent. More than half of the companies expect to increase their investments in production within the next 6 months (53%), while the other half expects to keep investments at a constant level. We see a similarly stable picture for research and development: Half of the companies surveyed plan to increase their R&D activities, while the other half will keep activities stable.

On Solid Grounds

"We are dealing with a very volatile environment. Some of our key end markets are affected, such as the automotive market. For our industry, this is reflected in fluctuating sales forecasts. In addition to geopolitical crises, high energy costs and inflation are also taking their toll," concludes Dr. Alain Schumacher. "But thanks to the broad customer and product portfolio of printed electronics, we expect stable percentage growth in 2024 and beyond. The ingenuity of the industry is unbroken, and I look forward to presenting and seeing the results at LOPEC."

Organic and Printed Electronics Association (OE-A)

The OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association) is the leading international industry association for flexible, organic and printed electronics. The OE-A represents the entire value chain of this emerging industry. Members are world-class global companies and institutions, ranging from R&D institutes, mechanical engineering companies and material suppliers to producers and end-users. Well over 200 companies from Europe, Asia, North America and Africa are working together to promote the establishment of a competitive production infrastructure for organic and printed electronics. The vision of the OE-A is to build a bridge between science, technology and application. The OE-A is a working group within VDMA. More than 3,600 member companies from the engineering industry make VDMA the largest industry association in Europe.

Flexible, Organic and Printed Electronics

Organic and printed electronics stands for a revolutionary new type of electronics: they are thin, lightweight, flexible, robust, and produced at low cost. It enables new applications, including single-use devices enabling ubiquitous electronics.

LOPEC

The OE-A and Messe München are the hosts of LOPEC, the premier international exhibition and conference for the printed electronics industry. It addresses end-users, engineers, scientists, manufacturers and investors. LOPEC 2024 is held March 5-7, 2024.

LOPEC 2025 will be held February 25-27, 2025.

www.oe-a.org

www.lopec.com

Caption: The OE-A business climate survey forecasts an 13 % increase in turnover for the industry this year. For 2025 a plus of 17 % is expected. © OE-A