The DecoChrom project elevates printed graphics products to the age of interactivity, and empowers the creative industries with the tools and innovative advanced material sets to design and build aesthetically pleasing practical human interfaces to smart consumer goods and environments. The DecoChrom consortium develops printed electrochromics (EC) as the mass producible, print industry compatible, ultra low-power interactive graphics solution for ambient intelligence. DecoChrom will scale-up the production of advanced composite materials into 3 innovative ink EC colours, manufacturing process on different materials (plastic foil, paper, high-pressure laminates and 3D durable plastic parts), wide dissemination and creation of EC toolkits to introduce electrochromics to designers, makers and the printing industry, and finally the co-creation of more than 20 creative industry lead end-user prototypes and pilots for architecture, interior design, lifestyle and sports. The project brings together a strong interdisciplinary consortium of 15 partners, industry and research balanced, with state-of-the-art backgrounds in design, chemistry, printing, coatings and laminates, electronics system integration, and complete electrochromics solutions. This is complemented with the commitment of a multidisciplinary Industrial Advisory Board with representation of key industry end-users such as Ikea (furniture), Lego (toys), BMW (automotive), Fiskars (domestic tools), Hoffmann + Krippner (printed electronics, industrial printing) and GSB Wahl (ink production).

MADRAS project aims to demonstrate a materials-driven improvement of OLAE devices, establishing a high speed manufacturing methodology in a scalable competitive process which is In Mold Hybrid Printed Electronics (IMHyPE). Four high performance materials to be developed in MADRAS tackle high cost, instability and short lifetime of OLAE devices under operational conditions through the development of robust alternatives and innovative approaches. Such materials are a conductive and transparent substrate, a semiconducting transparent ink based on organic components, a transparent conductive silver nanowire-based ink and a semiconductor ink based on metal oxide nanoparticles. MADRAS project also addresses the need for innovative and industrial manufacturing processes for the development of robust series of flexible plastronic products. Building on an already established technology as plastic injection, will facilitate a faster uptaking. The advantages of IMHyPE are numerous and include: light weighting, space-saving, robustness, accelerated time-to-market, and high throughput capabilities. It will demonstrate processability, stability, operational lifetime and seamless integration of new products as well as of new technology into traditional goods. Therefore, MADRAS proposes two products for persons’ authentication market and smart manufacturing that will show a step forward towards digitisation and Internet of Things for its contribution to the sustainable deployment of smart products for consumer use. Ethical issues for these matters are properly addressed. Such products belong to the global emerging trend of structural electronics with very large addressable markets as Automotive sector, healthcare and many others. The workplan sets and consolidates the value chain through the participation of six SMEs, four RTOs, one large company and one standardisation association completing MADRAS consortium assuring high impact boosting activities.