Innovation sometimes begins with a simple conversation. This was the case for the Swedish and Latvian researchers in the CAMART2 project. The collaboration began with an open-ended innovation process: learn something new about each other and find something new to do together at the intersection of integrated optics and printed electronics.
Astrid Armgarth and Xin Wang from RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, share how this creative innovation process became the foundation for a productive collaboration, ultimately driving significant advancements in their research field.
Finding Synergies
The collaboration between researchers at the Laboratory of Organic Materials at ISSP (Institute of Solid State Physics) and the Printed Electronics group at RISE began with a curiosity driven plan. It started with the task of identifying a challenge that leveraged synergies in skills, capabilities, and facilities. Xin recalls their initial uncertainty of this unusual approach:
"Our simple directions were to expand and learn; to find some common things that we could work on together. At our first meeting with ISSP, we just got to know each other, but we didn’t get a tangible future direction out of it."
Rather than forcing a common subject, the project manager had confidence in the process and allowed the team time to understand each other’s skills, laboratory capabilities, and research interests. Astrid emphasizes the importance of creating space for these conversations:
"It’s good to be able to talk multiple times with a partner to understand each other’s competences and needs. A lot of times you don’t get to do this."
Leveraging Facilities for Collaborative Success
The researchers had to thoroughly explain their knowledge areas to bridge gaps. Astrid and Xin describe their approach:
"We started to list everything we had—the equipment, the materials, the processes we could offer. If they needed a printed connector, we could provide suitable materials. If they required an insulator, we had options available. If they were looking for encapsulation solutions, we could suggest different barrier materials and so on. Once we laid it all out, the connections started to appear."
One of the key strengths at ISSP is their top-notch facilities, which played a crucial role in their joint project. Xin Wang noted:
"When we visited ISSP, we realized how advanced their facilities are. It’s just a few years old and very tailored for the purposes, so it’s quite luxurious. More people need to hear about this! After the visit, we started to understand how we could spread this knowledge and combine our areas of expertise."
Common Ground and New Discoveries
Through a deep understanding of each other’s expertise, the team stumbled upon a groundbreaking concept. When the team presented their printing capabilities, Arturs, a young researcher at ISSP, came forward with an intriguing request that took some time to figure out.
"He mentioned something about his project, but it was quite vague at the time, and we didn’t grasp what he was aiming for. It was only when a certain printing technique was introduced that he came forward with his interest," Xin recalls.
This printing technique is routine for printed electronics researchers but was completely new to Arturs. He saw its potential to optimize a device he was working on and informed the team that he would experiment with it and get back to them after the summer. When Arturs and the team met again, they recognized the potential in his idea. Xin shares the excitement of this moment: "We realized we might actually be able to apply this technique to his device! It was a breakthrough!"
The researchers found common ground, forming the basis for their collaboration. Astrid concludes, “By combining our skills, we understood we could tackle challenges neither of us could solve alone."
Progress
The researchers aimed to create a proof of concept to establish further collaboration, facing both practical and time-related challenges. Xin describes the delicate task of handling the samples:
"One of the most difficult tasks was preparing samples for them. They were using very fragile materials, much smaller than what we were used to working with."
To solve this, the team designed a structured support system, where they could securely place the fragile substrates. This setup stabilized the material and allowing precise printing on the designated area.
The tight timeline added to the project’s complexity, but despite the challenges, they successfully delivered the samples to Riga on time, marking a significant milestone.
The Power of Global Research Networks
The rapid development of new technologies relies heavily on access to advanced research infrastructure. However, many institutions struggle to maintain cutting-edge equipment or find the right expertise to fully utilize it. This is why connecting research facilities across borders is not just beneficial but necessary.
Through the CAMART2 project, ISSP organized its laboratory facilities as Open Access laboratories, allowing students and external researchers to use their facilities. Using the same booking system as RISE enables direct collaboration between ISSP and RISE. Xin emphasizes the importance of this collaboration:
"It’s very much the aim of this collaboration—to share infrastructure—it is very important."
The partners plan to continue working together on new EU projects, integrating advanced technologies such as printed electronics and integrated optics and technology.
The discoveries made through the CAMART2 collaboration have significantly improved both partners’ capabilities and broadened their scope. By leveraging each other’s expertise, they can explore new opportunities, expand their network, and improve commercialization efforts, driven by a shared vision of advancing technological capabilities and fostering long-term partnerships.
Collaborators from RISE:
Dr. Xin Wang, Researcher, Bio- och organisk elektronik, Research Institutes of Sweden
Xin Wang, a senior scientist at RISE, earned her Ph.D. in thin film physics in 1998. Since 1999, she has been contributing her expertise at Acreo, now part of Rise. With extensive knowledge in various materials used in microelectronics, such as metals, thin films, organic conducting polymers, and cellulose, she is well-versed in numerous processing techniques, including sputter deposition, spin coating, inkjet printing, dispensing, and screen printing.
Xin has developed and worked with a range of electronic components, including diodes, electrochemical transistors, electrochromic displays, and supercapacitors. Her proficiency extends to electrical and electrochemical measurement techniques, as well as hands-on experience in microstructure characterization. Additionally, she has a strong background in process integration for electronic systems.
Throughout her career, Xin has been involved in many R&D projects, such as the Digital Cellulose Center, 0-3D, SIOS, smart textiles based on cellulose nonwoven, and the EU SYMPHONY project. She has also published over 20 peer-reviewed scientific papers.
Astrid is Xin’s direct manager. Xin work a lot with printed electronics and bio and organic electronics. Her background is physics, and she has a PhD from Linköping University on thin film physics and she has been working with a lot of different projects, national, EU, and with the industry.
Dr. Astrid Armgarth, Enhetschef, Bio- och organisk elektronik, Research Institutes of Sweden
Astrid Armgarth is the unit manager for the Bioelectronics unit in Norrköping, closely connected to printed electronics. The test and demo facility are also in Norrköping. They work a lot with SME´s in the area and other companies that wants to have hybrid printed electronic solutions.
Astrid Armgarth joined RISE in 2019 and is active in the fields of printed electronics, organic and bioelectronics. She received her M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering and M.Res. and Ph.D. in Plastic Electronics (Physics Department) at Imperial College London (UK). From 2017–2019, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Linköping University (Sweden), where she combined printed electronic actuators and sensors. She has experience in coordinating interdisciplinary research in projects for the development of flexible hybrid electronic solutions.
Collaborators from ISSP:
Dr. Arturs Bundulis, Laboratory of Organic Materials, Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia at ISSP.
Arturs has been working with lossy mode resonance (LMR) structures that finds applications in environmental monitoring, biosensing. His work includes both theoretical simulations and experiments on different LMR devices. He is pioneering on integrated LMR structures which is easy to upscale and provides possibility for realizing reliable and miniaturized system based on LMR technology.
Glossary
Printed electronics: Different functional materials, such as conducting and semiconducting polymer, conductive silver, copper, and carbon materials, and dielectric materials can be directly printed on flexible plastic or paper substrates. Additive printing methods, such as screen printing, inkjet printing, slot die coating, etc can be used, low temperature curing is possible due to the advanced ink formulations. Printed electronics can be upscaled, for example, by sheet-to-sheet automatic process, or by roll-to-roll printing.
Lossy Mode Resonance (LMR): A phenomenon in optics where certain modes of light are absorbed by a material, used in sensor devices.
Encapsulation Solutions: Materials or methods used to protect electronic components from environmental factors such as moisture and dust.
Integrated Optics: The integration of optical devices and components into a single system, often used in advanced technology applications.
Proof of Concept: A demonstration that a certain idea or method is feasible and has potential for further development.
Open Access Laboratories: Research facilities that are accessible to external researchers and students, allowing them to use advanced equipment and resources.
CAMART2: A collaborative project between RISE Research Institutes of Sweden and ISSP Institute of Solid State Physics to promote scientific collaboration between Swedish and Latvian researchers.
RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden): Sweden’s research institute and innovation partner. Through international collaboration with industry, academia and the public sector, we ensure business competitiveness and contribute to a sustainable society. Sweden’s research institute and innovation partner. Through international collaboration with industry, academia and the public sector, we ensure business competitiveness and contribute to a sustainable society.
ISSP UL (Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Latvia): Latvian a research institute with an internationally recognized leadship in materials science and cross-disciplinary topics, conducting competitive research, educating students and offering innovative solutions for industrial needs.
Printed Electronics: A technology that involves printing electronic circuits and components on various substrates using techniques like inkjet printing, screen printing, and spin coating.
