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OLEDSOLAR · Project

Faster, Cheaper Mass Production of Flexible Displays and Thin-Film Solar Cells

manufacturingPilotedTRL 7
oledsolarproject.eu

Imagine trying to print electronics — like bendable screens or solar panels you can stick on a curved roof — on giant rolls of flexible material, the way newspapers are printed. The problem is that moving from a small lab sample to a factory-scale roll is incredibly hard: tiny defects ruin entire batches, and you can't easily check quality at high speed. OLEDSOLAR brought together 17 organizations across Europe to build better printing processes, inline quality cameras and sensors, and smart automation software so these products can finally be manufactured reliably and affordably at industrial scale.

By the numbers
>10%
Targeted yield improvement in manufacturing processes
17
Consortium partners across 8 countries
10
Industry partners in the consortium
4
SMEs participating in the project
EUR 7,872,870
EU contribution to the project
8
Work packages in the project
59%
Industry ratio in the consortium
The business problem

What needed solving

Flexible displays, OLED lighting, and thin-film solar cells are growing markets, but manufacturers hit a wall when moving from lab samples to factory-scale production. Defect rates climb, quality inspection can't keep up with line speed, and scrap costs eat into margins. Companies need proven, scalable manufacturing processes with built-in quality control to make mass production viable and profitable.

The solution

What was built

The project developed reconfigurable manufacturing processes for OLED, OPV, and CIGS production targeting over 10% yield improvement, inline inspection and quality control systems using advanced sensors, automation and monitoring software for roll-to-roll and sheet-to-sheet lines, and recycling strategies to reduce waste of high-value materials. An exploitation workshop was held to plan commercial uptake.

Audience

Who needs this

OLED display and lighting manufacturers scaling up productionThin-film solar cell producers (CIGS and OPV)Roll-to-roll and sheet-to-sheet equipment suppliersIndustrial quality control and inspection system integratorsBuilding-integrated photovoltaic companies
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Display and Lighting Manufacturing
enterprise
Target: OLED display or flexible lighting manufacturers

If you are an OLED manufacturer struggling with low production yields and high scrap rates when scaling from lab to factory — this project developed reconfigurable manufacturing processes targeting greater than 10% yield improvement, plus inline inspection and quality control systems optimized for roll-to-roll and sheet-to-sheet production. That means fewer defective panels and faster time-to-market.

Thin-Film Solar Energy
mid-size
Target: CIGS or organic photovoltaic producers

If you are a thin-film solar cell producer looking to bring costs down for building-integrated or curved-surface installations — this project tested pilot-line scale-up processes for CIGS and OPV manufacturing with integrated functional testing and measurement systems. The consortium of 10 industry partners validated these processes at production-line level.

Industrial Automation and Quality Control
SME
Target: Equipment suppliers for roll-to-roll or sheet-to-sheet coating lines

If you are an equipment maker or systems integrator supplying coating and printing lines — this project built advanced processing software for overall control and monitoring of R2R and S2S manufacturing, along with sensor-based inspection systems. These tools can be integrated into your existing lines to reduce waste and improve throughput for opto-electronics customers.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt these manufacturing improvements?

The project itself received EUR 7,872,870 in EU funding across 17 partners over 42 months. Specific licensing or adoption costs are not published. Contact the consortium to discuss pricing for the inspection systems, automation software, or process know-how.

Can these processes work at industrial production volumes?

Yes — the objective explicitly states that processes were scaled up, tested at pilot lines, and implemented in production lines for validation. Both roll-to-roll (R2R) and sheet-to-sheet (S2S) manufacturing formats were addressed, which are the standard industrial approaches.

Who owns the IP and how can I license it?

IP is distributed across the 17-partner consortium led by VTT (Finland). An exploitation workshop was held to plan commercial pathways. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated with the relevant partners who developed specific tools or processes.

Which production steps does this cover?

The project addressed critical steps across the full opto-electronics production chain: coating and deposition processes, inline inspection and quality control, functional testing and measurement, automation software for process monitoring, and recycling and re-use strategies for reducing high-value product waste.

How much yield improvement can I expect?

The project targeted greater than 10% yield improvement through reconfigurable high-yield processes. This figure comes directly from the project objectives. Actual results may vary depending on your specific production setup and baseline.

Is this relevant for my existing production line or only new builds?

The inspection, quality control, and automation software were designed to be optimized and integrated into existing manufacturing setups. The project covered both R2R and S2S formats, so retrofitting existing lines is a realistic scenario.

What is the current project status?

OLEDSOLAR is closed (ended March 2022). Results are available for licensing or collaboration. The consortium held an exploitation workshop to facilitate commercial uptake of the developed technologies.

Consortium

Who built it

OLEDSOLAR assembled a strong industry-weighted consortium: 10 out of 17 partners (59%) come from industry, including 4 SMEs, backed by 6 research organizations and 1 university across 8 European countries. The coordinator is VTT, Finland's leading applied research center, which has deep expertise in printed and flexible electronics. The heavy industry presence — nearly 3 out of 5 partners — signals that results were designed for real production environments, not just academic papers. For a business looking to adopt these technologies, this means there are multiple potential technology suppliers and integration partners already familiar with the tools developed.

How to reach the team

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland — reach out via their flexible electronics or printed intelligence business units.

Order a report on this consortiumSee TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the OLEDSOLAR consortium or a tailored brief on how their manufacturing tools fit your production line? Contact SciTransfer — we connect businesses with EU research teams.

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