SARALON

Their core work

SARALON is a German technology SME specialising in functional printing and printed electronics, with a strong focus on manufacturing electrochemical biosensors and diagnostic devices. Their core competence lies in translating printing processes — screen printing, inkjet, and related techniques — into functional sensor layers for point-of-care and wearable health monitoring applications. In the IMPETUS project they contributed to pilot-line manufacturing of paper-based electrochemical test strips for quantitative liquid-sample analysis, while in ELSAH they applied their printing expertise to fabricate sensor components for a wireless smart patch capable of monitoring molecular biomarkers on the skin. In plain terms: they make the printed sensor elements that turn a flexible substrate into a working diagnostic device.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SARALON entered H2020 research through the lens of classic point-of-care diagnostics — paper substrates, lateral flow formats, and electrochemical strip manufacturing, all oriented toward single-use liquid-sample testing (IMPETUS, 2018). Almost immediately they moved toward body-worn, connected devices: ELSAH (starting 2019) shifted the application domain to continuous biomarker monitoring via a wireless smart patch, signalling a deliberate step from disposable diagnostics toward reusable wearable electronics. The trajectory is clear: their printing technology platform is the constant, but the target form factor is evolving from flat paper strips toward flexible, integrated electronic systems on the body.

SARALON is moving up the integration stack — from manufacturing individual printed sensor layers toward contributing to complete bio-electronic wearable systems, making them an increasingly relevant partner for digital health and remote patient monitoring consortia.

How they like to work

SARALON has participated exclusively as a consortium partner rather than a project coordinator across both projects, suggesting they operate as a focused technology contributor rather than a project manager. With 27 unique partners across 2 projects they are embedded in large, multi-stakeholder consortia (averaging 13–14 partners per project), which indicates comfort working within complex international teams. There is no evidence of repeat partnerships between the two projects, suggesting they are open to new collaborators and bring a distinct manufacturing capability that different consortia seek out.

SARALON has built connections with 27 distinct organisations across 6 countries through just two projects, indicating broad but relatively shallow network coverage typical of a specialist SME that is sought out for a specific technical role. Their geographic reach is European, with both projects running under the EU RIA scheme and drawing partners from across the continent.

What sets them apart

SARALON occupies a rare niche at the intersection of precision printing technology and electrochemical biosensor manufacturing — a combination that is hard to find in a single SME. Where most printed-electronics companies focus on passive components or RFID, SARALON specifically targets functional biosensing layers, giving them direct relevance to diagnostics, wearables, and digital health without being a generic electronics contractor. Their location in Chemnitz, within one of Germany's established printed-electronics clusters, reinforces access to specialist equipment and supply chains that larger, more generalist partners typically cannot match at their scale.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ELSAH
  Represents SARALON's most advanced integration challenge — combining printed biosensor fabrication with wireless electronics and continuous molecular monitoring in a body-worn patch, signalling their capability to contribute to next-generation wearable diagnostics.
• IMPETUS
  Established SARALON's credentials in pilot-line manufacturing of paper-based electrochemical strips, demonstrating they can scale printed biosensor processes beyond lab prototypes toward commercial production volumes.