Flexible, ultra-thin wearable devices, or the ‘smart skin’ or ‘skin patches’ allow for real-time remote sensing of health and wellness and gets indispensable across the care cycle, from prevention to diagnosis and surveillance, for consumers, patients, physicians and researchers. Printing the electronics on thin (foil-based) substrates and laminating these in e.g. clothing, and patches is a very strong technique to produce such wearables. This technique is often referred to as “printed electronics” or “Flexible electronics”.
Many health patches exist today. Although several reach a high TRL, large scale production remains a challenge, preventing actual reaching large patient groups.

In this project an open access Patch Factory for mass printed electronics will be built, located in Brabant. Within the project the factory will be developed and demonstrated. Furthermore, the ecosystem within the market and value chain will be expanded. In the project TNO (represented by the Holst Centre in Eindhoven) will collaborate with 3 innovative SME’s, TracXon BV, Salvia BioElectronics BV and Elitac Wearables BV and with the Brabantse Ontwikkelings Maatschappij (BOM).

The development of the patch factory contributes to the health transition, which focuses on the transition to a more efficient health care system where people grow old healthier and happier. The development contributes to the following challenges described in the RIS3: prevention, personalization and participation. The project strengthens the position of the Southern Netherlands as a technological center and cultivates sustainable manufacturing technology ‘made in Europe’. The companies involved are experiencing economic and technological growth and the project ensures knowledge enhancement and activity in the region.