Nanomanufacturing
The “internet of things” concept envisions intelligence and communication built into all kinds of consumer products and during smart manufacturing of these products. Printed electronics offers one low-cost pathway towards this future however new low-cost sensor, memory, computing and communication technologies need to be developed and effectively integrated into a range of manufacturing techniques and consumer products in a scalable, economically sustainable way. The Birck Nanotechnology Center at Purdue University is leading a research initiative with two dozen faculty across ten Schools and four Colleges to combine advances in roll-to-roll systems, functional printing and scalable nanomanufacturing to overcome this challenge. Given Purdue’s strengths in Pharmacy, Health and human science, and Food/Agriculture, there is particular interest in focusing efforts on smart thin films towards these sectors.