Benefits of Membership

CPEIA’s mandate is to nurture Canada’s entire Printable Electronics (PE) ecosystem. Our extensive consultations with stakeholders revealed that existing R&D efforts by industry are not enough to create a global powerhouse in this emerging sector.

What Canada needs is a coordinated and combined effort that can only be achieved with the leadership of a single, recognized industry association. It’s time to build on the efforts to date by the National Research Council, the PE Consortium and the R&D community, to bring PE and its applications to the mainstream market.

CPEIA wants to work with the creators of technology, be they entrepreneurs, startups, SMEs, or multinational OEMs and systems integrators with Canadian operations.

We also want to engage with the end users of PE applications and products, in any market vertical, from healthcare, security, marketing and advanced manufacturing, to aerospace, automotive, energy, printing, packaging and the environment.

No company can succeed without the right kind of professional support. Our doors are also open to professional services firms that serve the needs of any of these PE players.

Industry is only one of three pillars of a robust ecosystem. The other two are of course academia and government. Our role is to facilitate the interaction of academia and government with industry, as well as create the R&D investment and networks required for sustained and rapid growth.

Other Canadian or international organizations, innovation agencies, research centres, government labs, researchers and students with an interest in PE technologies also have a place at the CPEIA table.

Why does Memtronik Innovations see value in CPEIA membership?

The opportunity to generate new industry contacts and develop synergies with fellow members were the initial drivers in moving Memtronik Innovations to join the CPEIA.

While Memtronik has significant experience in printable electronics in the form of membrane touch switches, electroluminescent lamps and graphic overlays, the industry is evolving rapidly with many new capabilities being offered. Having invested extensively in new equipment to offer precision automation, more capacity and high quality, Memtronik has been looking to expand its business. Part of this growth will be driven by these new technologies.

Wearables, capacitive touch, RFID and moulded electronics are all expected to come in to play. Other members of the CPEIA include key suppliers of the materials and expertise required for these solutions. In addition, end users are well-represented and have led to business for Memtronik.

Academia, government and industry experts complement the suppliers’ updates on their product direction. They also provide a knowledge base and research capabilities beyond those of Memtronik.

The CPEIA’s ability to form partnerships with the Packaging Consortium and the IEEE expands the group of potential partners and customers significantly and provides direct links for insight into current and future requirements for printable electronics solutions.

The profile of the Canadian printable electronics industry and coverage provided by the CPEIA’s publicity activities enhances visibility of its members’ capabilities, broadens the understanding of what the technology now offers and supplements Memtronik’s own marketing efforts.

Finally, a significant tangible benefit for Memtronik was winning an Innovation Award at CPES2016. We are a very proud recipient as it underlines the capabilities of the company and provides significant exposure for our organization.

— Jessica Forget, Vice-President, Memtronik Innovations