SOLEDLIGHT · Project

Cheaper Flexible OLED Lighting Through Roll-to-Roll Printing Instead of Vacuum

manufacturingPilotedTRL 6

Imagine printing light panels the way newspapers are printed — on a roll, fast and cheap — instead of building them layer by layer in expensive vacuum chambers. That's what this project figured out. Traditional OLED lighting wastes about 30% of expensive organic materials during manufacturing, but this printing method uses 90% of them. The result: thin, flexible light panels that bend around furniture, cars, or walls, produced at a fraction of today's cost.

By the numbers

$8 billion

Estimated market for OLED lighting products

90%

Material usage efficiency via solution processing

70%

Material usage efficiency via vacuum deposition

100 lm/W

Target power efficiency for solution-processed OLEDs

15,000 hours

Target device lifetime at 3,000 cd/m²

50 lm/W

Demonstrated OLED efficiency on large-area device

9 partners

Consortium size across 7 countries

The business problem

What needed solving

OLED lighting offers thin, flexible, energy-efficient panels but remains too expensive for mass adoption. Current vacuum-based manufacturing wastes 30% of costly organic materials and requires heavy capital investment. Manufacturers need a cheaper production method to unlock the estimated $8 billion OLED lighting market.

The solution

What was built

The project built multiple physical demonstrators: a 50 lm/W large-area solution-processed OLED on glass, roll-to-roll fabricated flexible OLED panels, and multi-panel luminaire prototypes integrating these panels into application-ready lighting fixtures. They also scaled up both material synthesis and R2R coating to a pilot production line.

Audience

Who needs this

OLED lighting manufacturers looking to reduce production costsAutomotive suppliers designing flexible cabin and ambient lightingArchitectural lighting companies developing curved or surface-integrated fixturesOrganic electronics material suppliers scaling up for large-area coatingConsumer electronics brands exploring flexible display and lighting integration

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Lighting manufacturing

enterprise

Target: OLED lighting manufacturers looking to cut production costs

If you are a lighting manufacturer struggling with high OLED production costs due to vacuum deposition — this project developed a roll-to-roll solution processing method that achieves 90% material usage efficiency compared to 70% with vacuum. The technology was demonstrated at 50 lm/W on large-area devices and targets over 100 lm/W, enabling flexible OLED panels produced on a continuous roll with lower capital investment and higher throughput.

Automotive interior design

mid-size

Target: Automotive suppliers designing next-generation cabin lighting

If you are an automotive supplier looking for thin, flexible lighting that conforms to curved dashboard and door surfaces — this project built flexible OLED panel demonstrators using roll-to-roll fabrication on flexible substrates. These lightweight panels with lifetimes exceeding 15,000 hours could replace rigid light guides, saving weight and enabling entirely new interior design possibilities.

Architecture and interior design

any

Target: Smart building and premium interior lighting companies

If you are a building products company looking for next-generation architectural lighting — this project created multi-panel OLED luminaire demonstrators that are thin, flexible, and lightweight. The solution-processed panels can be produced in large areas on flexible substrates, opening up wall-integrated, curved ceiling, and furniture-embedded lighting designs not possible with conventional LED panels.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

How much cheaper could OLED lighting become with this technology?

The project data states that solution processing achieves 90% organic material usage efficiency versus 70% for vacuum deposition. Combined with lower capital investment for roll-to-roll equipment and higher production throughput, this points to significant cost reduction at high volumes. Exact per-unit cost figures are not provided in the project data.

Can this scale to industrial production volumes?

Yes — the project specifically scaled up both chemical synthesis of materials and roll-to-roll coating technology to a pilot production line. TNO/Holst Centre contributed a state-of-the-art R2R line, and large-area sheet-to-sheet and roll-to-roll demonstrators were fabricated. This is not lab-only work.

What about intellectual property and licensing?

The consortium includes Osram (leading OLED manufacturer) and Solvay (leading OLED materials manufacturer), both of whom develop proprietary materials and processes. IP is likely held by the consortium partners. Licensing inquiries would need to go through the coordinator (Universitat de Valencia) or the industrial partners directly.

What performance levels were actually demonstrated?

A 50 lm/W large-area solution-processed OLED demonstrator was fabricated on glass. The project targeted power efficiencies exceeding 100 lm/W and lifetimes exceeding 15,000 hours at 3,000 cd/m². Flexible OLED panels were also produced via roll-to-roll fabrication and integrated into a luminaire demonstrator.

How does this compare to existing LED lighting?

OLEDs produce diffuse, glare-free area lighting unlike point-source LEDs — they're complementary technologies. The estimated market for OLED lighting products is $8 billion according to the project data. The key advantage is that OLEDs are thin, flexible, and lightweight, enabling designs impossible with rigid LED panels.

Is this ready to use in products today?

The project ended in 2017 and delivered multiple demonstrators including flexible OLED panels integrated into luminaires. However, this was pilot-stage technology. Osram's participation was intended to ensure rapid transfer to future products. Current commercial readiness would depend on developments since project closure.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a strong industry-driven consortium with 5 out of 9 partners (56%) from industry, spanning 7 European countries. The lineup is strategically built: Osram brings end-product integration and market access as Europe's leading OLED manufacturer, Solvay supplies the materials as a leading OLED materials manufacturer, and TNO/Holst Centre provides the pilot roll-to-roll production line. Three top universities (Valencia, EPFL, Imperial College) supply the science. This is not an academic exercise — it's a production-focused team designed to move technology from lab to factory floor.

UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIACoordinator · ES
SYENSQO LABORATOIRE DU FUTUR SASthirdparty · FR
IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINEparticipant · UK
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOparticipant · NL
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNEparticipant · CH
OSRAM OLED GMBHparticipant · DE
SOLVAY SAthirdparty · BE
RHODIA OPERATIONSparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

Universitat de Valencia, Spain — reach out through the university's technology transfer office or via the CORDIS contact form

Order a report on this consortium See UNIVERSITAT DE VALENCIA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the SOLEDLIGHT team about licensing their roll-to-roll OLED manufacturing technology? SciTransfer can arrange the introduction.

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