​Structural electronics involves integrating electronic functions by building silicon or printed electronic components right into the very structure of the objects they equip. And, with benefits like enhanced personalization, ergonomics, and digitization, structural electronics has the capacity to respond effectively to manufacturers’ needs in an environment characterized by fast-paced markets and rapidly-emerging new uses for technology.

Because structural electronics is at the crossroads of research taking place at the different CEA Tech institutes, it is precisely the kind of cross-disciplinary project Y.SPOT was set up for. Leti is contributing know-how in silicon electronics; Liten is providing expertise in organic electronics, printing processes for flexible substrates, and 3D printing and complex assembly; List is developing the software that will give the systems created their smart capabilities.

This cross-cutting field aligns with Liten’s decade-long history investigating printed electronics. Research to improve assembly processes and to integrate Leti components into thin, flexible substrates is underway. CEA Tech, through its institutes, is an active participant in this new form of hybrid integration through initiatives like the ECSEL joint undertaking EnSO and the Horizon 2020 project InSCOPE. InSCOPE will result in a European pilot prototyping line for hybrid and printed systems, targeting markets from automotive and healthcare to smart packaging and buildings and construction.