This year’s OE-A competition was dominated by projects and products that focus on smart living, as 20 entrants submitted their latest visions and products to the OE-A Competition 2025.

From smart patches for healthcare applications to hydrogen tanks and new lighting applications, innovative demos and products that illustrate the potential and capabilities of printed electronics were recognized at LOPEC 2025, the international exhibition and conference for printed electronics, in Munich, Germany.

The competition is organized annually by the OE-A (Organic and Printed Electronics Association), a working group within the VDMA.

The panel of judges, comprising experts from international companies and research institutions, assessed 20 submissions across three categories. In addition to the jury’s evaluation, visitors were invited to select their favorite innovation for the “Public Choice Award.”

“The OE-A Competition 2025 is particularly notable for its numerous applications in the smart living sector. We have increasingly seen projects that offer smart solutions for everyday life with a strong emphasis on sustainability ” said Dr. Klaus Hecker, managing director of the OE-A.

The awards were officially handed over during the LOPEC Award Show to the following winners:
• Best Prototype and New Product: Health patch development platform – Lohmann GmbH & Co. KG

• Best Freestyle Demonstrator: Fully additive manufactured light bulb – FAPS Institute for Factory Automation and Production Systems at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany

• Best Publicly Funded Project: Hydrogen tanks shock and fatigue detection sensors – Piezotech Arkema, France

• Public Choice Award: Smart hard hat – CeNTI – Centre for Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Portugal

As part of the LOPEC Business Conference, the OE-A supports emerging companies and startups through the Start-up Competition.

“The goal of the Start-up Competition is to connect young entrepreneurs with potential
partners and investors to help bring their business ideas to life. LOPEC provides these companies with the opportunity to pitch their ideas at the Forum and showcase their innovations in the dedicated Start-up area,” said Dr. John Fahlteich, chair of LOPEC Start-up Competition.

Two awards were presented:
• Best Business Case – Dr. Lorenzo Agostini, Adaptronics
• Most Impactful Technology/Product – Dr. Qiaoshuang Zhang, Prio Optics GmbH