Spring / Printemps 2017 31 T wo examples are Unilever and Molson Coors. These global consumer brands want to bet- ter engage with consumers and protect their products from tamper- ing and counterfeiting by embed- ding intelligent functionality into packaging and retail displays. In the pharmaceutical industry, developers of PE technology are partnering with packaging compan- ies to create intelligent medication packaging and market this solution to pharmaceutical companies—the end users. The goal again is brand protection and consumer engage- ment, along with the means to ensure safe and appropriate medi- cation usage. A mobile app tracks when each pill is removed from a common blister package. These are the kinds of collabora- tions the CPEIA seeks to build across the entire value chain of this industry, from the research lab to the store shelf, in verti- cals that include intel- ligent buildings, con- nected homes, automotive and aerospace, and wearables and smart textiles. Spring / Pr rintemps 2017 31 nd bal et- nd er- d- to ry, re n- on on he nd e- to di- ks a a ild o a s a a- d of b The Financing Challenge for Scale Up: Access to cap- ital for startups and SMEs at various stages of growth. Critical in this is lack of access to traditional VC fund- ing for materials, electronics or new emerging cross-sector ventures. Printable electron- ics is largely an unknown commodity for tech invest- ors. Many of the application areas fall into the hardware segment, which overall are a harder sell to investors than a software product. Why we convene CPES Held this year May 24-26, CPES is Canada’s sole confer- ence and trade show exhibition dedicated to printable, flex- ible and wearable electronics. It arose from an annual con- ference held by the National Research Council of Canada, which has its own flagship research program in PE. Our objective with CPES is to serve as Canada’s common meeting ground for technology developers, industrial compan- ies and end-users to meet and discuss how they can work together to commercialize new products and applications for PE. Academic researchers can showcase their research and discover how they can link it to market needs and opportunities. New this year, we have added a third day of programming to help address the challenges identified in our Sector Leadership Council last November. It features Master Classes on various technical subjects, a Financing Panel to help compan- ies engage with pri- vate and government funding sources, and Mentoring Sessions for startups, where they can tap into the support they need to rise to the next level. CPES, along with the workshops and webinars the CPEIA develops throughout the rest of the year with its strategic partners, rests on the principle that a rising tide floats all ships. Only by working together across the entire eco-system, from the R&D lab to the end-use product, can we build a robust PE sector befitting Canada’s track rec- ord for innovation. ■ W W W W W W Wh h h ho o o d d d do o o w w w we e e e m m m m m m m me e e e e e ea a a a a an n n n n b b b by y y y e e e e e e e e en n n n n n nd d d d d d d d d d d u u u u u u u u us s s s s s s se e e e e e e er r r r r r r rs s s s s s f f f f f f f f f f fo o o o o o o o o or r r r r r r P P P P P P P P P P PE E E E E E E E E E? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? FOR IEEE MEMBERS As an IEEE member, you are invited to attend CPES2017 at 15 per cent off the standard rate. Please use the discount code: cpeia-partner2017b. Visit www. cpes2017.ca to learn more about the conference and to register. Please note this offer cannot be combined with the CPES2017 stu- dent rate. It only applies to Day 1 and Day 2 of the conference. If you wish to attend the Master Classes or Mentoring & Financing Sessions on Day 3, you must pay the regular fee for those activities. Learn more about PE with our white papers, which can be down- loaded for free by IEEE members. Please visit http://cpeia-acei.ca/ cpeia-whitepaper-series/ and use the code ieee!@$2016 Peter is a senior high-tech man- agement consultant who has worked extensively for leading companies, research organiza- tions and growth-stage companies in the National Capital Region. He has consulted with more than 100 companies and government organizations, and served on vari- ous boards and committees. Peter has been involved with the creation and growth of many startup and growth-phase technol- ogy companies. Most recently as VP of Strategic Analysis & Global Marketing, he helped a TSX-listed global communications company grow from $3.2 million to $100+ million in revenues. For the three years prior to the founding of the CPEIA, Peter played an integral role in the National Research Council’s efforts to prove the value of the PE opportunity for Canada and to create the PE Consortium. Peter Kallai President & CEO Canadian Printable Electronics Industry Association About the Author By working together across the entire eco-system, we can build a robust PE sector befitting Canada’s track record for innovation. In the pharmaceutical industry, developers of PE technology are partnering with pack- aging companies to create intelligent medication pack- aging. A mobile app tracks when pills are removed from a blister package. to the store shelf, in verti cals that include intel- ligent buildings, con- n- nected homes, automotive and aerospace, and wearables and smart textiles. p indus of PE partne agin cr me agin t tr racks b