Real Nano: European project that reduces production costs and paves the way for mass production of organic electronics is completed

 

The European RealNano project has been completed and is set to transform the global organic electronics industry, a multi-billion-euro endeavour. RealNano is evolving the tens of billions of euros global industry by integrating innovative technologies of intelligent nano-characterisation techniques and Artificial Intelligence methodologies to improve in real-time the properties, quality and functionality of the produced Organic Electronics devices.

H2020 RealNano developed innovative, efficient and fast nano characterisation tools and real-time analysis methodologies, and integrated them into production processes and pilot lines. These new tools improve production efficiency by up to 90%, while reducing energy, waste and raw material requirements by 30%.

The products and applications developed during the project are revolutionising the large-scale organic electronics printing industry such as flexible organic photovoltaics and OLEDs, as well as printed biosensors.

During the project, applications were created that contribute decisively to the digital transformation of European industry and applications were developed for energy, transport, automotive and agri-food (agrivoltaics). Examples include the use of 3rd generation photovoltaics in greenhouses and the creation of energy-autonomous Mediterranean greenhouses.

RealNano has a direct impact and benefit to society as it paves the way for the efficient production of organic photovoltaics and their integration in a variety of products such as in automotive and transport by integrating translucent curved solar roofs in cars and other means of transport. RealNano was one of the pioneering projects, which at the start of the pandemic adapted their actions to the development of biosensors for COVID-19, but also for the detection of cardiovascular diseases, and this was recognised by the European Commission.

The project was funded by HORIZON 2020 for 42 months (1 March 2020-31 August 2023) and involved 12 companies and research centres from six European countries (Greece, Germany, Italy, France, Germany, Hungary, France and the UK). It is worth noting that the participation of Greece in the project was particularly significant as RealNano involved four institutions, the LTFN Nanotechnology Laboratory of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Greek companies OET, BLNanobiomed and the HOPE-A Association.   

The project was led by the LTFN Laboratory of Nanotechnology of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, which builds on the experience of four decades in the field of Nanotechnology, Nanosciences and Organic Electronics, and together with OET starts the mass production of Organic Photovoltaics.

Caption: A greenhouse with OPV installations (photo: RealNano)