2024 RECIPIENTS
R&D Achievements - Deepak Trivedi, PhD, Entries for this award were evaluated for their world-class approach, originality, and commercial potential for expanding the scope for FHE products or manufacturing processes. Dr. Trivedi from GE Aerospace led the collaborative effort with GE, UES (a Blue Halo Company), AFRL and Binghamton University to develop Sensiworm, a revolutionary soft robotic device designed for in-situ inspection of aircraft engines. With its inchworm-like movement, the Sensiworm navigates confined spaces, using advanced sensors and a camera system to detect defects and assess surface conditions in real-time. This technology eliminates the need for engine disassembly, significantly reducing inspection time and costs, and minimizing aircraft downtime.
“Leading the Sensiworm technology development has been a remarkable journey. This innovation showcases the incredible potential of flexible hybrid electronics for soft robotics and for revolutionizing industrial maintenance and military readiness. I am grateful to SEMI FlexTech, my team at GE, and our partners UES and Binghamton University. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved and excited for the future impact of our work.” Shared Dr. Deepak Trivedi.
Product Innovation – SunRay Scientific Inc. Entries for this award are flexible electronics products announced in the last twelve months and are awarded to the organization responsible for its creation. Madhu Stemmermann, CEO and Co-founder of SunRay Scientific, recognized the potential of anisotropic conductive material to revolutionize electrical interconnect solutions. Madhu and her team developed magnetically aligned, Z-axis conductive epoxy, a reliable and scalable solution for flexible electronics and semiconductor packaging, and they branded it as ZTACH® ACE.
“SunRay Scientific Inc. is honored to receive the FLEXI Product Innovation award for ZTACH® ACE. This novel magnetically aligned, Z-axis conductive epoxy provides scalable, reliable solutions for flexible electronics and semiconductor packaging. With incredible support from SEMI, NextFlex, AFRL, ARL, industry and academic partners, we have launched a commercially available interconnect solution addressing unmet needs across healthcare, consumer, automotive and defense.” Said Madhu Stemmermann, CEO and Co-Founder.
Environmental Sustainability – Lynne Garone, This award recognizes and honors an individual for their volunteering efforts and contributed achievements in advancing the flexible and hybrid electronics industry towards environmental sustainability. Through her passionate and effective advocacy for sustainability, Lynne Garone from E-Ink, increased not only individual employee sustainable practices, but also prompted corporate commitments to the United Nations Global compact, Carbon Net Zero and an active involvement in a Massachusetts based Green Team Initiative
“E Ink believes innovation and sustainability go hand in hand. Our passion in this area inspired our corporate mission to be carbon net zero by 2040, and we are confident that the meaningful actions we are taking across our business will enable us to achieve that goal.” stated Lynne Garone.
Industry Leadership – Stephaney Shanks PhD, This award recognizes and honors an individual who has built awareness of the capabilities and possibilities that flexible and hybrid electronics bring to the broader field of electronics and has demonstrated outstanding leadership for the industry in public forums, association activity, and within their organization. Director of Integrative Health and Performance Sciences at BlueHalo, Dr. Stephaney Shanks has pioneered innovations in real-time health and performance technologies, focusing on rapid detection for national security applications. She has led teams on projects worth over $200M and collaborates widely to advance wearable technologies.
“I am grateful and honored for this singular recognition from SEMI FlexTech. I have worked in the national security arena, focused on warfighter health applications for the better part of my career, and it is a deeply rewarding calling.” expressed Dr. Stephaney Shanks.
2023 RECIPIENTS
FLEXI Product Innovation Award - Dr. Azar Alizadeh, Principal Scientist, and her team at GE Research won a FLEXI for developing low-cost wireless, flexible, and wearable medical devices for both military and clinical use.
Industry Leadership - Dr. Nancy Stoffel, Platform Leader for Flexible Hybrid Electronics at GE Research, won a FLEXI award for her outstanding leadership in advancing FHE manufacturing.
R&D Achievements - FLEXI award for R&D Achievements went to Pradeep Lall, MacFarlane Endowed Distinguished Professor and Director at Auburn University, was recognized for his landmark contributions in developing additive manufacturing processes and reliability testing for additive printed flexible electronics.
Environmental Sustainability Champion - Robert Praino, co-founder and COO of CHASM, received a FLEXI award for leading a project with U.S. Department of Energy to advance the decarbonization of cement through the CHASM NTeC-C additive that reduces the amount of cement in concrete, eliminating 0.7 metric tons of CO2 per ton of concrete.
Workforce Development - Dr. Peter Doerschuk of Cornell University was recognized as a key advocate and intellectual partner in applying AI/ML approaches to optimize cleanroom processes.
2022 RECIPIENTS
FLEXI Product Innovation Award - BMW won the FLEXI for it color-changing car, the BMW iX Flow, featuring E Ink. Awarded for its ingenuity and design the car features a wrap which allows it to change from black to white in a dynamic flow.
Industry Leadership - The FLEXI was awarded to Michael Ciesinski to recognize his contribution to building awareness of FHE and its impact on electronics. Mike dedicated nearly 3 decades to leveraging the power of collaboration for technology development and advancement.
R&D Achievements - FLEXI award for R&D Achievements went to Dr. Sheng Xu, University of California, San Diego, for his work in developing a fully integrated wireless ultrasound patch that can conform to the human skin and continuously record central blood pressure waveforms and heart rate variability when wearing subjects are in motion.
Environmental Sustainability Champion - The FLEXI was awarded to Dr. Robert Praino, co-founder of CHASM Advanced Materials for high leadership in injecting the topic into all discussions at FlexTech executive meetings.
2020 RECIPIENTS
FLEXI Product Innovation Award - PragmatIC won the FLEXI for product design and ingenuity in developing its ConnectIC family. The award recognizes an FHE product, announced over the past year, with significant potential or proven market adoption and revenue generation.
FLEXI R&D Award - Epicore Biosystems won the FLEXI for its world-class research and high commercial potential of a soft, skin-interfaced bioelectronics platform that leverages microfluidics to capture biochemical/biophysical markers on fatigability in heart failure patients.
Technology Leadership in Education - NextFlex received the FLEXI for FlexPro, a program that immerses working professionals into the development, manufacturability, and applications that can benefit from FHE technology.
Industry Leadership - FlexTech Chairman Dr. Michael McCreary won a FLEXI for his dedication and involvement in the commercialization of FHE, unwavering efforts to forge an industry vision, and contributions to technical developments.
Technology Champion - Meyya Meyyappan, Chief Scientist for Exploration Technology at the Center for Nanotechnology, NASA Ames Research Center, won the FLEXI for his technical leadership in printed and flexible electronics, outreach activities and tireless volunteering to promote the field.
2019 RECIPIENTS
FLEXI Product Innovation Award - American Semiconductor won the FLEXI for product design and ingenuity for Flex NFC, the industry’s first physically flexible IC to support NFC communication and foster new ways to connect through IoT.
FLEXI R&D Award - FlexEnable, developer of the world’s first industrially-proven, low cost flexible transistor technology platform, allowing displays to be built on plastic.
Technology Champion & Leadership in Education - Mark Poliks, Empire Innovation Professor of Engineering and Director of the Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing at Binghamton University, won a FLEXI for his excellence in furthering flexible and printed electronics and continuous contribution to the FLEX conference through his participation on the Call for Abstracts, conducting a Tech Course, serving on every committee and active participation in FlexTech and NextFlex.
Industry Leadership - Keith Rollins, formerly with DuPont Teijin Films, won a FLEXI for his dedication and involvement in the commercialization efforts of flexible electronics materials. As a volunteer, his reach is extensive, serving as the chair of UK’s Plastic Electronics Leadership Group and a member and chair of the SEMI-FlexTech Governing Council.
2018 RECIPIENTS
FLEXI Product Innovation Award - E Ink for Dazzle, the world's largest electronic paper installation
FLEXI R&D Award - The Wearable Device for Dynamic Assessment of Hydration Team (GE Global Research, UES, The University of Arizona, University of Connecticut, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Dublin City University and AFRL) for developing a paper-based bio-fluid patch that collects sweat for human hydration index monitoring
Technology Leadership in Education - James Turner from Binghamton University for outstanding leadership and attention to mentoring students during the development of an FHE electrocardiography (ECG) patch.
Industry Leadership - David Morton formerly with the Army Research Laboratory for his dedication to building awareness of advanced flexible hybrid electronics in the broader field of electronics.
Technology Champion - Robert Reuss, former program manager in the Microsystems Technology Office at DARPA for his extraordinary dedication to growing the flexible electronics industry, early recognition of the impact of large area electronics and strong contributions to helping build the FLEX conference.
2017 WINNERS
FLEXI Product Innovation Award - YUASA System Co, Ltd. for their FX-FSC90 Tension-Free Ushape Folding Test Jig, a tension- and friction-free FHE testing jig that returns consistent and accurate data from bending tests.
FLEXI Product Innovation Award - NuCurrent for developing efficient printed antennas for wireless power transfer. NuCurrent’s technology enabled the world’s first through-table charge approved by the FCC and the AirFuel standard.
FLEXI R&D Award - Ana Claudia Arias from University of California, Berkeley for the development of flexible medical sensors and printed flexible devices. Her breakthrough research has led to the creation of flexible receiving coils for magnetic resonance imaging devices and devices for impedance sensing for the detection of early pressure ulcers in vivo.
Technology Leadership in Education Award - Brewer Science for establishing a company culture that fosters creativity and innovation.
FLEXI for Industry Leadership Award - Dalen Keys from DuPont for his technical acumen and business development experience. At critical junctures, Keys provided leadership that resulted in public/private partnerships among industry, government and the R&D communities.
2016 WINNERS
FLEXI Innovation Award – Sensor Films, Inc., for the Starlight Digital Manufacturing Platform. This tool brings a modular approach to flexible and hybrid electronics manufacturing with large area deposition of functional and decorative materials on cut-sheet, flexible, porous or rigid substrates and is scalable to roll-to-roll production.
FLEXI Innovation Award - Blue Spark Technologies, for their TempTraq product, a wearable temperature monitor in the form of a soft, comfortable patch that provides a continuous body temperature reading.
FLEXI R&D Award – Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Lowell for research conducted into a ferroelectric nano-ink for printing electrostatically-tunable dielectrics on plastic substrates using direct-ink writing methodologies.
Technology Leadership in Education FLEXI Award – to Northeastern University's Center for High Rate NanoManufacturing, which has educated more than 130 students on the topics of directed assembly-based printing, synthesis of organic semiconductor and polymers engineering.
FLEXI Award for Industry Leadership - to Daniel R. Gamota in recognition of his outstanding thought leadership and vision for printed electronics, particularly his strategic roadmap development activities and standards work.
2015 WINNERS
FLEXI Innovation Award – Thin Film Electronics, ASA, for the NFC Smart Label. This small label can store and sense data such as time and temperature, and wirelessly communicate the information to internet-connected devices via NFC technology.
FLEXI R&D Award – Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Vitex Systems for the development of Barix®. Barix’s basic principles have been critical to a new generation of curved and flexible OLED displays which are just emerging on the marketplace.
Technology Leadership in Education Award – Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Departmentfor the establishment of a Certificate and Master’s degree program in the area of Printed Electronics and Functional Imaging. Through this program students acquire the essential knowledge and skills to carry into the printing and design worlds.
2014
FLEXI Innovation Award – MC10 for its sports and activity impact indicator designed for athletes of all ages and skill-levels, the CHECKLIGHT ™.
FLEXI R&D Award
Imprint Energy for development of the first truly rechargeable battery based on an ultrathin Zinc polymer cell structure and printed onto flexible substrates.
Plastic Logic for their demonstration of ISORG’s organic printed photodetectors onto an OTFT backplane, creating a flexible, ultra-light, ultra-thin and robust sensor.
Technology Leadership in Education Award – Dr. Bruce Kahn for his exemplary contributions to the printed electronics field since 2002, including teaching, training, writing, researching, and advising in the field.
2013
FLEXI Innovation Award – American Semiconductor won the award for its Flexible Hybrid Systems with FleXTM Silicon-on-PolymerTM, a proprietary process to transform standard silicon wafers into flexible wafers.
FLEXI R&D Award – Two companies were recognized individually for their achievements in R&D. Corning received the award for Corning Willow Glass, a thin and flexible display-grade glass that has benefits for a variety of electronic devices. Plastic Logic received the award for its scalable color filter alignment process, a transformational technology that enables the integration of color displays into flexible concepts.
2012
FLEXI Innovation Award – Thin Film Electronics and PARC, a Xerox Company, were the combined recipients for their working prototype of the world’s first printed, rewritable memory addressed with complimentary organic circuits, combining Thinfilm’s polymer-based memory technology with PARC’s transistor technology.
FLEXI R&D Award – The Center for the Advancement of Printed Electronics (CAPE) at Western Michigan University received the award for their variety of R2R and sheet techniques including: gravure, inkjet, screen, flexography, spin coating and various CVD techniques used to model the printed electronics world.
Technology Leadership in Education Award – Awarded to the Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics (COPE) at the Georgia Institute of Technology for fostering research, education, and innovation in the field of organic photonics and electronics.
2011
FLEXI Innovation Award – E-Ink won the award for its global innovation of electrophoretic displays in the flexible display industry.
FLEXI R&D Award – Polyera, a supplier of functional materials for the printed and flexible electronics industry, has been a leading player in the development of materials, in particular pioneering the development of high-performance, user-friendly n-type semiconductor materials.
Technology Leadership in Education Award – TheDoctoral Training Centre (DTC) in Plastic Electronics, Imperial Col- lege London (ICL) for the breadth of disciplines including: materials physics, optoelectronics, physical chemistry, device engineering/modeling, and design, synthesis and processing of molecular electronic materials. The Imperial College DTC meets this challenge by having aggressively invested in the broad field of Flexible Electronics that resulted in appointments in Physics, Chemistry, Materials, and the Institute of Biomedical Engineering.
2010
FLEXI R&D Award – HP and PowerFilm Solar for the SAIL (self-aligned imprint lithography) process, whereby a 3D masking structure is molded on top of the full stack of un-patterned thin films required for the electronic backplane.
FLEXI Innovation Award – Infinite Power Solutions wins for their THINERGY™ MEC® (Micro-Energy Cell) products – revolutionary solid-state, rechargeable, energy storage solutions that serve a variety of vertical markets.
Technology Leadership in Education Award – Darmstadt University of Technology received the FLEXI Award for developing the interdisciplinary program “Printed Electronics”, which addresses materials, conventional and digital printing technologies, electronic devices and circuit design at the advanced degree level.
2009
FLEXI Innovation Award – Kent Displays for the eNote Liquid Crystal Writing Tablet (later renamed the Boogie Board) an environmentally-friendly tablet used to write with a finger or stylus and erase with a button push.
FLEXI R&D Award – DuPont Teijin Films won for development of its PET and PEN polyester films, now in use by numerous manufacturers of flexible displays and other emerging products.
Technology Leadership in Education Award – Multiple awards were presented to Binghamton University, Cornell University, Endicott Interconnect Technologies and Princeton University. The organizations were recognized for pioneering activity in development of academic white papers on flexible and printed electronics. And, in the case of Binghamton University, Cornell University, and Endicott Interconnect Technologies, recognition was given for pioneering course work at the university level.