Innovation UK > News > Innovation UK Vol5-2 > Realising the potential

The UK Displays & Lighting and Photonics networks have been merged and streamlined to create the Photonics & Plastic Electronics KTN (PPE KTN), which will incorporate and deliver the activities of the two previous entities from 1 September 2009 until 1 July 2010, when it is expected to become the photonics and plastic electronics ?theme holder? in the Electronics Sensors and Photonics KTN.

To that end, the Photonics & Plastic Electronics KTN has prioritised the following key areas as those with maximum potential for wealth creation and where PPE KTN can add most value.

Plastic Electronics

Plastic Electronics is the general term used to describe electronics based on semiconducting organic materials, as opposed to silicon semiconductors. However materials used also include more conventional amorphous inorganic semiconductor materials, metals, metal oxides and dielectrics.

It is a technology set to change the way in which we live our lives, with goods and devices set to have the potential to be slimmer, lighter, more efficient, more robust, easier to manufacture and lower cost than existing products, from medical devices to low-power flexible lighting.

Photovoltaics

The solar electricity market is booming. Such has been the growth in the solar electricity industry that it is now worth more than ?13bn. Assuming more jobs are created in the installation and servicing of photovoltaics than in their manufacture, it is estimated that by 2030 around 10 million jobs will be created by the development of solar power around the world.

Optical Communications

Investment in optical fibre is forecast to grow to $18.5bn by 2017. The key strategic thrust in the telecoms market is Next Generation Access (NGA) ie delivering increased bandwidth to the individual consumer. The key driver behind this demand for bandwidth is video with applications such as the BBC iPlayer and Youtube consuming vast amounts of bandwidth.

Biophotonics and Healthcare

From the microscope to laser diagnosis and treatment in healthcare fields such as ophthalmology, cancer treatment and dermatology, optical methods for gene sequencing and biochips have opened up new routes for the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Ultra?Efficient Lighting

The global market for lighting is valued at around $75bn. New lighting technologies such as LEDs and OLEDs along with efficient control systems offer new opportunities for the public sector to enable them to meet the government?s carbon-emission targets, while offering excellent value for money through lower running and maintenance costs, and also improved environmental benefits.

Imaging

Every image, whether live or stored, static or moving, contains vast amounts of information which can be exploited for economic, social and cultural benefit. The challenges range from generating useful images to extracting and using significant information from these images. A brand new generation of academics and innovative companies are at work developing exciting applications in medical diagnostics, policing, security, industrial automation, entertainment, advertising and transport management.

Industrial Photonics

Photonics has become a pervasive technology over the last few decades for a variety of products in industrial and factory automation, robotics, test and measurement. Developments in lasers, LEDS, micro?optics, integrated optics and fibre optics are making photonics a key enabling technology in machine tools, machine vision, robotic arms and metrology instrumentation.

Photonic components, including new photonic materials

The design and manufacture of components underpins worldwide photonic activity. Photonic materials and components serve as the foundation for the manufacture of systems at different levels of complexity. In many cases they perform a key function and dictate the performance of these systems and therefore are a strategic ingredient in a commercially successful photonics industry The new KTN has been designed to maximise benefit to our members and communities. It will deliver a programme of activities and events including tutorials, workshops, seminars, roadmapping and partnering that will accelerate innovation over the coming years. Membership to the Photonics & Plastic Electronics KTN is free to all, so take a few moments to visit our website.

For more information, visit:
Website: www.ppektn.org to register