1D-Neon · Project

Smart Fibres That Turn Everyday Products Into Sensing, Lighting, and Energy Devices

manufacturingPilotedTRL 6

Imagine if the fibres in your shirt, your sofa, or your office wall could sense touch, glow on command, or harvest energy — all without bulky electronics. That's what 1D-Neon built: a manufacturing platform that turns ordinary-looking nanomaterial fibres into tiny electronic components — transistors, sensors, lights, and energy harvesters. Think of it as replacing rigid circuit boards with flexible threads you can weave into almost anything, from robot skin to building surfaces.

By the numbers

consortium partners across the project

countries represented in the consortium

industry partners involved in development

57%

industry ratio in the consortium

basic fibre component types developed

pilot applications targeted

total project deliverables completed

demonstration-focused deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Manufacturers today face a fundamental conflict: customers want smart, connected products with sensing and display capabilities, but embedding rigid electronics into flexible, wearable, or architectural materials is expensive, fragile, and limits design freedom. Current approaches bolt sensors and circuits onto products rather than building intelligence into the material itself, driving up cost and complexity.

The solution

What was built

The project built a modular manufacturing platform for fibre-based electronic components — 5 types of functional nanomaterial fibres (transistors, sensors, electrodes, lighting, energy harvesters) that can be woven or integrated into products. They delivered demonstrator kits at 3 milestones, scaled up materials for end-use applications, and optimized composites for specific functions including tactile sensing, lighting, and energy harvesting.

Audience

Who needs this

Smart textile manufacturers embedding electronics into fabricsSoft robotics companies needing tactile e-skin surfacesBuilding materials companies adding sensing or lighting to surfacesWearable health and fitness device makers seeking flexible sensorsConsumer electronics companies developing next-generation flexible displays

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Smart Textiles & Wearable Electronics

mid-size

Target: Textile manufacturers or wearable device companies looking to embed electronics directly into fabrics

If you are a textile manufacturer struggling to integrate rigid electronic sensors into flexible fabrics — this project developed 5 basic fibre components (transistors, sensors, electrodes, lights, energy harvesters) and a modular manufacturing platform that lets you weave electronic functions directly into textile products. The consortium built demonstrator kits at 3 stages and completed scale-up analysis of optimized materials.

Soft Robotics & Automation

SME

Target: Robotics companies developing robots that need tactile sensing skin

If you are a robotics company building collaborative robots or prosthetics that need touch-sensitive surfaces — this project developed fibre-based tactile sensors and e-skin materials specifically designed for soft robotics applications. With 8 industry partners in the consortium and dedicated optimization of materials for tactile sensors, the technology was developed with manufacturing scalability in mind.

Smart Buildings & Construction

enterprise

Target: Building materials companies or smart building integrators wanting embedded sensing and lighting

If you are a construction or building materials company looking to embed sensing, lighting, or energy harvesting directly into walls, floors, or facades — this project created fibre-based components that can be integrated into building surfaces without visible hardware. The platform targets cost-effectiveness and was validated through 3 pilot applications across multiple sectors.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt this fibre-based technology?

The project specifically targeted cost-effectiveness alongside technical performance. However, no specific unit costs or pricing data are available from the project deliverables. You would need to contact the consortium partners to discuss licensing or supply pricing for specific fibre components.

Can this be manufactured at industrial scale?

Yes, scale-up was a core focus. The project delivered 'Scale up of materials suitable for end-use application demonstrators' and 'First upscale analysis of the optimized materials.' The consortium included 8 industry partners across 6 countries, specifically to address manufacturing readiness.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

The project was coordinated by the University of Cambridge with 14 partners. IP is likely shared across the consortium under the Horizon 2020 grant agreement. Licensing arrangements would need to be negotiated with the relevant partners who developed specific fibre components.

Which specific products were demonstrated?

The consortium built Demonstrator Kits (called '1D-NEON Kick-starter tool') at months 18, 36, and 48 of the project. These covered 3 pilot applications using 5 basic fibre components: transistors, sensors, electrodes, lighting elements, and energy harvesters integrated into smart products.

How mature is this technology for real-world deployment?

As an Innovation Action (IA) project, 1D-Neon targeted higher technology readiness than basic research. The project delivered optimized materials, demonstrator kits, and scale-up analysis across its 31 deliverables. The technology has been demonstrated and partially scaled but would likely need further industrial validation before full commercial deployment.

Is this compliant with EU material safety regulations?

The project objective explicitly mentions targeting 'sustainable development of new high-value, high performance devices and systems that could be integrated safely into everyday objects.' Based on available project data, specific regulatory compliance details would need to be confirmed with the consortium.

Consortium

Who built it

The 1D-Neon consortium is unusually industry-heavy for an EU project: 8 out of 14 partners (57%) are from industry, with 2 SMEs, 2 universities, and 4 research organizations across 6 countries (DE, ES, IT, NL, PT, UK). Coordinated by the University of Cambridge, this mix signals that the technology was developed with real manufacturing and market needs driving the research — not the other way around. For a business looking to adopt or license this technology, the strong industry presence means there are multiple potential supply chain partners already familiar with scaling these materials. The multi-country spread also reduces single-market dependency.

THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGECoordinator · UK
HENKEL KGaAparticipant · DE
BIOAGE SRLparticipant · IT
CENTITVC - CENTRO DE NANOTECNOLOGIAE MATERIAIS TECNICOS FUNCIONAIS EINTELIGENTESparticipant · PT
UNINOVA-INSTITUTO DE DESENVOLVIMENTO DE NOVAS TECNOLOGIAS-ASSOCIACAOparticipant · PT
SILVACO EUROPE LTDparticipant · UK
SYENSQO SPECIALTY POLYMERS ITALY S.P.A.participant · IT
THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORDparticipant · UK
FUNDACIO EURECATparticipant · ES
SIGNIFY NETHERLANDS BVparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

The coordinator is the University of Cambridge. SciTransfer can help identify the right contact person and facilitate an introduction.

Order a report on this consortium See THE CHANCELLOR MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how fibre-based smart materials could fit your product line? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the 1D-Neon team and help you evaluate the technology for your specific application.

Order a report on this topic More in Manufacturing & Industry 4.0