Imagine you want to print electronic circuits directly onto plastic parts, car panels, or packaging — like printing a photo, but the "ink" actually conducts electricity. The problem is that the special nano-inks and composites needed for this are expensive and hard to get in useful quantities. LEE-BED built a shared European facility where companies can walk in with an idea for embedded electronics and walk out with a working prototype and a clear path to production, all within six months. Think of it as a one-stop shop where 19 organizations pooled their equipment, expertise, and pilot production lines so individual companies don't have to invest millions before knowing if their product will work.
By the numbers
19
consortium partners pooling equipment and expertise
8
countries represented in the test bed network
6 months
target time from concept to working prototype
53%
industry ratio in the consortium
7
SMEs in the consortium
10
industry partners with production capabilities
The business problem
What needed solving
European manufacturers who want to embed electronics into their products — sensors in car panels, antennas in packaging, circuits in wearables — face a painful bottleneck: the functional nanomaterials (conductive inks, dielectric composites) are expensive, hard to source in volume, and there's no easy way to test whether your product idea actually works at production scale. Building your own pilot line costs millions, and outsourcing to Asia means losing control over IP and timelines.
The solution
What was built
LEE-BED built an Open Innovation Test Bed with digital pilot production lines covering the full chain: nanomaterial development, ink and composite formulation, and component manufacturing using ink-jet printing, additive manufacturing, laser processing, and robotically assisted in-mould labelling. The facility includes tailored services for technical support, business guidance, patent mapping, safety assessment, and life-cycle analysis.
Audience
Who needs this
Automotive suppliers embedding touch controls, sensors, or lighting into plastic interior partsSmart packaging companies printing NFC tags, sensors, or indicators directly onto packaging materialsWearable device manufacturers needing flexible printed circuits on non-standard substratesAerospace manufacturers replacing wiring harnesses with printed conductive traces on composite structuresIndustrial equipment makers adding embedded sensing to structural components for predictive maintenance
Business applications
Who can put this to work
Automotive components
mid-size
Target: Automotive tier-1 or tier-2 suppliers producing interior panels, dashboards, or structural parts
If you are an automotive parts supplier dealing with the cost and complexity of adding sensors, lighting, or touch controls to plastic components — this project built pilot production lines for embedding electronics directly into molded parts using conductive nano-inks and robotically assisted in-mould labelling. Instead of bolting on separate circuit boards, you can print circuits onto the part itself, reducing assembly steps and weight.
Consumer electronics packaging
SME
Target: Contract manufacturers or brand owners producing smart packaging or wearable devices
If you are a packaging or device manufacturer struggling with the high cost of small-batch printed electronics prototyping — this project created an open test bed offering rapid prototyping with ink-jet printing, additive manufacturing, and laser processing. The facility covers the full value chain from raw nanomaterials to finished embedded components, letting you test product concepts without building your own production line.
Aerospace and defense
enterprise
Target: Aerospace manufacturers or MRO companies looking to reduce component weight
If you are an aerospace manufacturer looking to replace heavy wiring harnesses or add sensing capabilities to lightweight composite structures — this project developed conductive and dielectric nano-ink formulations and composites specifically designed for embedding electronics into lightweight materials. The 19-partner consortium across 8 countries includes both material developers and digital production specialists.
Frequently asked
Quick answers
What does it cost to access the test bed facilities?+
The project was designed to provide funding services for SME access, including post-project capital support. Specific pricing for test bed access is not published in the project data. Contact the coordinator (Teknologisk Institut, Denmark) for current service rates and any remaining subsidized access options.
Can this scale from prototype to full industrial production?+
LEE-BED built digital-based pilot production lines — not just lab setups. The explicit goal was addressing cost, productivity, and capacity gaps in nanomaterial production. The test bed covers volume production of functional nanomaterials and formulations, which are identified as a major bottleneck due to high prices and limited availability.
What about IP — who owns what I develop using the test bed?+
The project offered tailored services including patent mapping as part of its support package. Based on available project data, specific IP terms for test bed users are not detailed in public documents. As an Open Innovation Test Bed, arrangements are typically negotiated per engagement — contact the coordinator for the IP framework.
How long does it take to go from idea to working prototype?+
The project's main objective was going from concept to prototype within six months. This timeline covers the full chain from raw nanomaterials through ink formulation to embedded electronic components, using the test bed's digital production infrastructure.
What specific manufacturing technologies are available?+
The test bed includes ink-jet printing, additive manufacturing, robotically assisted in-mould labelling, laser processing, and stereolithography. These are integrated into digital pilot production lines covering the entire value chain from raw materials to embedded electrical components.
Is there technical and business support beyond just equipment access?+
Yes. LEE-BED provides tailored services including technical support, business guidance, patent mapping, safety analysis, and life-cycle analysis modelling. The consortium includes 8 research and technology organizations and 10 industry partners across 8 countries, giving access to broad expertise.
Are there regulatory or safety assessments included?+
The project includes safety and life-cycle analysis modelling as part of its service offering. Based on available project data, this covers the nanomaterial safety considerations that are increasingly required for market entry with products containing engineered nanomaterials.
Consortium
Who built it
This is a strong, industry-heavy consortium with 19 partners across 8 countries (Austria, Germany, Denmark, Spain, France, Netherlands, Sweden, UK). The 53% industry ratio — 10 industry partners including 7 SMEs — signals this was built for real production, not academic publishing. Denmark's Teknologisk Institut coordinates, backed by 8 research and technology organizations and 1 university. The broad geographic spread across major European manufacturing economies means the test bed likely has access points and expertise relevant to companies across Western and Northern Europe. For a business considering using these facilities, the mix of research depth and industrial pragmatism is exactly what you want when taking a product from concept through pilot production.
Want to know if LEE-BED's test bed can solve your embedded electronics challenge? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partner for your specific application.
