Flexible printed and hybrid electronics (FPHE) are still difficult to prototype and manufacture in Canada. Researchers, startups, and small businesses often lack access to local facilities that can help them develop flexible electronic systems, so they must rely on offshore suppliers for prototypes and small production runs.

This dependence on offshore suppliers can increase costs, lengthen timelines, make intellectual property harder to protect, and leave Canadian organizations more exposed to supply chain disruptions. These challenges are becoming more urgent as FPHE technologies support a growing range of uses in healthcare, environmental monitoring, smart infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, and the Internet of Things.

Thin, lightweight, and bendable electronic systems can be used in products such as wearable health-monitoring devices, biosensor patches, smart packaging, environmental sensors, and conformable antennas.

To address this gap, École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), through the LaCIME laboratory in Montreal, will strengthen Canada’s FPHE capabilities by creating a platform for prototyping and low-volume manufacturing. The team will produce wearable sensors, biosensor patches, environmental monitoring systems, and flexible interconnect structures to test the platform’s performance and readiness for industry use.

LaCIME at ÉTS is leading the project, bringing expertise in printed electronics fabrication, process development, materials characterization, device integration, and performance validation. Co-leader Seneca Sense Technologies will help define application requirements and test early fabrication runs, so the platform reflects real industry needs. Together, they will advance technology development, workforce training, and commercialization.