Most of us in the display industry are familiar with the US Display Consortium (San Jose, CA; www.usdc.org). We know it as an industry-led public/private partnership that strives to provide a common forum for flat panel display manufacturers, developers, the supplier base and users. Since 1994, the organization’s mission has been to accelerate the transition from display related R&D to prototype manufacturing and then on to commercialization and market acceptance. The consortium’s primary activities have been to fund and manage supply-chain projects and share the results with USDC member companies. The tools used by the USDC to accomplish its’ mission have included pre-competitive R&D funding, technical road-mapping forums and a strong set of conferences and workshops.

Art Berman
Insight Media Consultant

Well, just like the display industry it serves, the US Display Consortium has evolved. The mission of the current incarnation of the organization is reflected in its new name: the FlexTech Alliance. Along with the new name comes an expanded charter. The organization is to now serve the common interests of the display industry as well as the flexible, printed electronics industry.

The USDC says that the move is a natural progression based on the success of its Flexible, Printed and Organic Electronics Initiative launched in December 2006. This program was designed to gauge potential development and growth of this new market. The result: the USDC has judged that industry interest has grown steadily suggesting the need for programs dedicated to the sector.

To better address these needs, the USDC and all of its projects will be absorbed under the broader FlexTech Alliance umbrella. The USDC believes that there is a significant overlap between the display industry programs it has undertaken in the past and the work needed to support the flexible, printed electronics industry.

The FlexTech Alliance will serve several functions. For example, it will continue to provide strong emphasis on the supply chain development and R&D for next-generation displays, such as OLEDs, flexible displays, MEMs-based and 3D displays. But it will also increase its focus on creating a flexible, printed electronics infrastructure within North America that will ultimately enable the production of active, ubiquitous devices. This technology is designed to produce flexible form factor devices that deliver high functionality at low cost. Near-term applications for this market extend beyond displays to include RFID tags, sensors (chemical/biological), energy (e.g., solar cell panels and flexible batteries), solid-state lighting, medical/healthcare and disposable electronics.

For the 3D @ Home Consortium members, nothing will change in terms of USDC (or Insight Media’s) support for the consortium. In particular, the USDC name will stay in place to manage the 3D @ Home Consortium and existing federal R&D activity under the FlexTech Alliance umbrella.

The fact that USDC has changed its name and expanded its mission to be inclusive of these emergent markets is indicative of their future potential. Some experts predicts that the market for some flexible applications that could exceed $50 billion by 2017.

To accomplish its expanded mission, the FlexTech Alliance will leverage the strong relationships forged by the USDC with industry, the academic community, investment banks and venture capital firms. This is in addition to federal agencies including the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, which funded early federal initiatives in printed electronics. The FlexTech Alliance will also continue to work closely with the Flexible Display Center at Arizona State University and the Binghamton University led Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing, both of which have substantial activity in this dynamic industry.

Michael Ciesinski, USDC’s former CEO, will lead the new FlexTech Alliance in the same capacity. In addition, Dr. Mark Hartney will remain as the CTO; Kay Mascoli as Director of Development and Planning; Dr. Kevin Cammack as Director of Technical Marketing and Development and Heidi Hoffman as Director of Events and Marketing Communications.

The FlexTech Alliance will deliver its services in national settings, via an industry web portal (www.flextech.org) and through regional chapters.

Beyond wishing the FlexTech Alliance good luck in their latest undertakings, their display industry constituents will be looking to participate in and derive benefits from the organization’s initiatives.