Aug 11 2010
The UK government has granted funds to develop cost-efficient OLED lighting in the country. The project is expected to begin in early November. The Technology Strategy Board, backed by the UK government, has awarded the funds from a €10.1 million pot aimed at supporting research and development projects in plastic electronics, technologies and their applications.
TOPDRAWER (thin organic prototypes, design, research, applications with end-user recognition) will try to demonstrate that it is possible to develop a PLED (polymer light-emitting diode) light. Thorn Lighting is handling the project that is utilizing the previous research and development on PLED luminaire in the TOPLESS (The Organic Polymeric Light Emitting Semiconductor Surfaces) project. Thorn Lighting, Durham University and Cambridge Display Technology teamed up to work on the project, which ended some months ago. The partners will work on the TOPDRAWER project shortly. A number of companies such as Conductive Inkjet Technology, Pilkington and Tridonic will also participate in the project.
The team will develop and exhibit a printed manufacturing procedure, which will be configured into eye-catchy designs. The procedure will be tested at the Printable Electronics Technology Centre, a design and development unit in Sedgefield, UK.