3. Abstract Key project data Consortium Methodology Be involved Appendix
In Light.Touch.Matters, product designers and
material researchers will collaborate to jointly
develop a fully new generation of smart materials
that combine touch sensitivity with luminosity,
based on latest developments in polymeric piezo
materials and flexible OLEDs. Manufactured on
plastic substrates, these novel ‘light touch
materials’ will be thin, flexible and formable,
allowing seamless integration into products.
They promise to greatly expand design freedom
and unlock totally new modes of product-user
interaction, enabling us to take the next step in
product design: using touch sensitivity and
luminosity to produce simple, affordable and
intuitive user interfaces so that eventually ‘the
product becomes the user interface’.
4. Light.Touch.Matters focuses on products for care and well-
being applications that can help consumers feel better,
monitor or improve their health and increase comfort, such
as rehabilitation aids, wearable alarms, and diet coaches,
though we expect strong spin-off to other sectors.
Analysis of results will include end user value, commercial
value and environmental impact (LCA/critical materials).
SCENARIOS
APPLICATIONS
Abstract Key project data Consortium Methodology Be involved Appendix
5. Abstract Key project data Consortium Methodology Be involved Appendix
FORESEEN
MATERIALS
The design-driven research on integrated piezo plastics and
OLEDs can directly contribute to innovation and
competitiveness in a large number of related sectors, many
of which are strategic to the EU: not only design,
(health)care and consumer goods, but also the chemical,
automotive and printing industries, as well as mechanical-,
electrical-, packaging- and systems engineering.
7. Design driven development of
touch-sensitive luminous
flexible plastics for applications
in care & well-being.
FULL TITLE
novel materials and
design-based solutions for
the creative industry
(NMP program, theme 4).
START&END DATE
EC RESEARCH CALL EC CONTRIBUTION
Abstract Key project data Consortium Methodology Be involved Appendix
Feb 1st 2013 – July 31st 2016
(42 months duration)
3.98
Project type: collaborative
research (CP-TP)
9. UK: Lamb Industries Ltd // Minima Design Ltd // Brunel University // University College London
NETHERLANDS: University of Technology Delft // Van Berlo BV // Holst Centre/TNO
FRANCE: Studio Edelkoort
SPAIN: Bax & Willems // Fjord Spain SLU // Fuelfor Design and Consulting SL
FINLAND: Aito Interactive OySL
SWEDEN: Mälardalens högskola
DENMARK: Diffus Design IS
GERMANY: Pilotfish GmbH
ITALY: Grado Zero Espace Srl // Material ConneXion Italy Srl
Abstract Key project data Consortium Methodology Be involved Appendix
10. Diffus Design IS
Fjord Spain SLU
Fuelfor Design and Consulting SL
Grado Zero Espace Srl
Lamb Industries Ltd
Minima Design Ltd
Pilotfish GmbH
Van Berlo BV
Bax & Willems
Brunel University
Mälardalens högskola
Material ConneXion Italy Srl
Studio Edelkoort
University College London
University of Technology
Delft
Aito Interactive OySL
Brunel University
Holst Centre/TNO
University of Technology Delft
DESIGNERS MATERIAL
SCIENTISTS
FACILITATORS
Abstract Key project data Consortium Methodology Be involved Appendix
12. how to get designers and material scientists to work together?
Light.Touch.Matters will use a proprietary design-driven research methodology based a comprehensive
body of industrial product design knowledge that has been built up over the past decades. It consists of
iterated cycles of materials-inspired and design-driven materials research with direct and prolonged
design-researcher interaction, leading to a convergence of the conceptual designs and feasible materials in
4-6 interaction showcases.
convergence into 4-6
technology showcases
Abstract Key project data Consortium Methodology Be involved Appendix
13. how to get designers and material scientists to work together?
Abstract Key project data Consortium Methodology Be involved Appendix
input from
materials R&D
feed into
materials R&D
feed into
materials R&D
15. The Light.Touch.Matters project
welcomes organizations and
companies who are willing to
actively speed up the industrial
uptake of the new materials.
Abstract Key project data Consortium Methodology Be involved Appendix
16. This can involve e.g. leading manufacturers of electronic equipment
(medical or otherwise), but also national design agencies and contact
points. Component manufacturers with a strong track record of
integrating electronics into- or onto products are also invited. Several
of such end users of the knowledge and technology we will generate
have already stepped forward and taken place in our ‘end user panel’,
including several renowned companies and influential organizations.
Such involvement can be free of charge and be limited to attending
several of our project workshops, but can also become more
substantial (e.g. running manufacturing experiments).
If you’d like to join, or would like to know more about your possible role, please contact the LTM
Liaison Committee via liasoncommittee@light-touch-matters-project.eu
END USERS
Abstract Key project data Consortium Methodology Be involved Appendix
17. Abstract Key project data Consortium Methodology Be involved Appendix
TECHNOLOGY SUPPLIERS
Similarly, the project welcomes suppliers of the key ingredients of the
new smart materials, such as plastic resins, piezo-active compounds,
flexible electronic components, etc. Again, several of such suppliers
have already taken place in our ‘manufacturers panel’, but we are
open to new participants. Involvement can be free of charge as above,
augmented by supply of sample ingredients.
Interested? Then contact the LTM Liaison Committee at the same
address.
Disclaimer: although we appreciate all interest, we reserve the right to admit only those
companies or organizations who will actively speed up industrial uptake, whose involvement is
genuinely two-way and whose interests do not conflict with those of panel members admitted
earlier.
20. Technische Universiteit Delft
Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering
www.ide.tudelft.nl
Delft University of Technology, founded in 1842, is the oldest, largest and most comprehensive university of technology in
The Netherlands with excellent international rankings (e.g. ranking 18 in the 2010 QS World University Rankings –
Engineering and Technology – and 5th in Europe). Two TU Delft faculties participate in the project: Faculty of Industrial
Design and Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.
TU Delft Industrial Design Engineering (DUT-IDE): The faculty of Industrial Design Engineering (IDE) is among the oldest
and largest (>2.000 students, >75 PhDs, >300FTE personnel) university based design programmes in the world. It is
regarded as one of the best D-Schools in the world, e.g. by Business Week and has a strong global reputation on research in
its field. The faculty has an integrative vision on product design that covers user/consumer, aesthetics, interface,
technology, business and organisational aspects related to product innovation. Its research objective is to foster sustainable
wellbeing by exploring, generating and transferring knowledge and technologies for industrial design.
Technische Universiteit Delft
Novel Aerospace Materials at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering
www.fam.lr.tudelft.nl
The second faculty participating in the project is the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.
The Novel Aerospace Materials (NOVAM) group was established in 2003 in order to provide the faculty of Aerospace
Engineering at the DUT with a research group dedicated to the development of novel materials for aerospace and space
applications, although materials for other applications are also developed. At this moment the group has 35 members led by
3 permanent staff. Research at NovAM focuses on five main lines: thermodynamic design of novel metallic systems; high
performance polymers; piezoelectric materials; self- healing materials and coatings technology.
Trend Union is a trend forecasting agency created and directed by Lidewij Edelkoort. She and her team are creative minds who
travel the world studying the evolution of socio-cultural trends before sharing this information with clients in industries as
diverse as design, electronic devices, automotive, interiors, fashion, textiles cosmetics and food.
Trend forecasts are published under the form of books, or analysed and synthetized in a made-to-measure approach by Trend
Union following client's requests. Trend Union is also experienced in the preparation of exhibitions, publishing trend
magazines and participating in a non-profit association to sustain handcraft techniques.
Studio Edelkoort is Trend Union's department providing personal consultancy to industries, institutions or brands, based on
lifestyle trend forecasting to visualize the evolution of society and the needs of the consumers. Its team possesses a long
experience and expertise in trend forecasting and lifestyle research and its two creative directors have cooperated with
Lidewij Edelkoort and Trend Union for more than 20 years.
www.edelkoort.com
21. Diffus Design is a design office combining research and experimentation. Diffus is merging ubiquitous technology based on
sensor technology and computing with the sensual properties of traditional materials, giving qualities of slowness and
tangibility to the digital and changeability and interaction into the material. Diffus tries to make a continuum between the
digital and the analogue in order to avoid the traditional bipolarity between the two. This "mix" of digital and physical materials
results in unique hybrid material on its own right. By combining different materials and innovative technology in often
unpredictable ways, Diffus creates poetical, playful and surprising spaces and artefacts with unconventional twists, which
appeal to our emotions and open up to the sensibility of a large public but always with a strong concept and clear narratives.
www.diffus.dk
Fuelfor is an innovation design consultancy specialised in health care. Founded in June 2008 the company is based in
Barcelona and works with a team of world-class professionals to deliver integrated innovation services to global clients in the
private and public sectors. With over two decades of industry experience, fuelfor's professional competences span from design
research and experience design to product identity and implementation. They have worked across a spectrum of care contexts
including oncology, labour and delivery care as well as chronic disease management and healthcare IT. Leading multi-
disciplinary innovation design teams to deliver award-winning (health) care products, services and strategies for clients in USA,
Europe and Asia. Fuelfor takes a 360° view that gives clients new ways to think about health. With a strong belief that
researchdriven design and multi-disciplinary collaboration are essential for innovation, they empower clients to see sustainable
growth opportunities with greater clarity, and respond with viable solutions and strategies that improve the way people
experience health.
www.fuelfor.net
Fjord is Europe's leading digital design agency, structured around innovation and pushing the boundaries of digital service and
interface design. Fjord works with leading companies such as Nokia, HP, Orange, Telefonica, Vodafone, BBVA and The BBC.
Fjord has a track record of analysing in depth the long-term underlying patterns of innovation and change in digital technology.
That's how it helps clients to build real innovation into their interfaces and products. Every project is seen as a unique
challenge, finding the best solution by starting from first principles, then collaborating through enthusiastic, reflective
exploration. Fjord has a very deep understanding of the issues and complexities of designing compelling experiences. For every
service on every platform the challenge is to create unique value through a design that is particular to the context of use.
www.fjordnet.com
Pilotfish is a design and innovation consultancy based in Munich and Amsterdam, with a branch office in Taipei. Pilotfish is
specialised in the development of intelligent products for the consumer, professional, medical and transportation industries,
supporting clients with integrated design services that cover the entire product development process. Pilotfish also acts as hub
of innovation for start-ups and technology providers looking for the right partners to realise their product or service ideas in
meaningful ways for end users.
www.pilotfish.eu
22. Lamb Industries is an industrial design consultancy based in Bath in the UK. Lamb designs products that provide enhanced
experiences for consumers. Innovative products are built on and inspired by a strong understanding of the end user. Lamb
Industries' ability to find out what the market needs allied with a strong technical background and a powerful creative spark
results in products that work better and sell better.
www.lambindustries.co.uk
Minima is an award winning design innovation agency that creates, develops and prototypes new products or services that
generate brand value and commercial success. Minima's proven expertise goes beyond user-centred product development and
creating world-leading innovation in their own prototype build facilities. They are experts in managing intellectual property and
working in partnership to drive even the smallest spark of an idea all the way to market. Minima has a strong track record in a
number of market sectors from healthcare to consumer product design and prototyping.
www.minima.co.uk
VanBerlo is an international design agency based in Eindhoven, which has developed to become one of Europe's leading
agencies in the area of strategy, communication design and implementation. This includes both product development and
engineering as well as brand and reputation strategy and implementation. VanBerlo works with its clients to help them achieve
tangible business value. Their innovative products, communication and brands have been creating the difference for their
clients for over 30 years. During the past five years alone, their designs have been given twenty Red Dot Awards.
www.vanberlo.nl
Grado Zero Espace SRL is an Italian SME involved in research, consulting and prototyping, specialised in transferring
technological material and know-how from advanced sectors to other field of application like textile, building, automotive,
sport and safe equipment and medical. It is a flexible and dynamic structure able to provide its clients with prototypes destined
to markets of high technological content supporting these products with adequate communication plans. The following
departments will be involved in Light.Touch.Matters: Research & Development, Industrial Design, Engineering, Prototype,
Laboratory and Textile.
www.gzespace.com
Aito is a software and engineering firm researching, developing and commercializing Man-Machine User Interfaces based on
the piezo technology. Its core product is an Aito Chip which controls the Aito designed piezo touch user interfaces of various
products such as Philips TVs, Siemens parking automates, Douwe Egberts coffee machines and Russell Hobbs toasters.
Aito R&D (lead by Ph.D. Pauli Laitinen): will be the main department involved, but it will be strongly supported by Aito
Application Engineering (lead by M.Sc. Jockum Lönnberg). Aito R&D focuses on developing piezo based user experience
products and thus increasing the company's IP and Aito Chip product portfolio. Aito R&D is located in Finland. Aito Application
Engineering (lead by M.Sc. Jockum Lönnberg): is dedicated to finding, customising and supporting customers/clients to realize
Aito user interface solutions in their products by doing sales and offering application engineering and/or consultancy.
www.aito-touch.com
23. Material ConneXion is the leading global platform for material solutions and innovations.
Built on the belief that Every Idea has a Material Solution™, we are the trusted advisor for Fortune 500's, smaller
forward-thinking companies, and government agencies seeking a creative or competitive edge through strategic material
selections. With offices in New York, Bangkok, Beijing, Cologne, Daegu, Istanbul, Milan, Seoul, Shanghai, and Skövde
Material ConneXion's international network of material specialists provides a global, cross-industry perspective on
materials, sustainable alternatives, and their potential uses to help companies innovate. With a wide spectrum of material
expertise and access to global material sources, we identify today's material solutions and provide insight into tomorrow's
opportunities: we act as a catalyst for new material and product ideas; we create new opportunities for product
development and optimization; we use our sustainable materials expertise to guide environmentally responsible material
solutions; we provide a competitive edge through deep dive research on materials in development and untapped
technologies; we find solutions to specific material challenge; we identify material trends for particular industries; we
provide a comprehensive overview of today's innovative material solutions from various industries.
www.materialconnexion.it
B&W is an Open Innovation consultancy that supports clients in defining and implementing their strategies related to
R&D, innovation and new business development. B&W works across Europe with the full range of innovation stakeholders,
ranging from Fortune 500 companies like BASF and Volkswagen to small high-tech start-ups and leading institutes such
KU Leuven, ETH Zurich and TU Delft. B&W has a high level of affinity with design, having been founded by alumni of the
Industrial Design Engineering Faculty of TU Delft. At the same time B&W has long-time experiencing in the creation and
implementation of European RTD collaborations.
www.bwcv.es
The Holst Centre is an international research centre founded in 2005 by the Belgian IMEC together with the Dutch TNO.
It is situated on the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven (former Philips Research campus), which has existing high-class
research facilities and infrastructure. The centre is in the midst of a number of companies in the key area of 'high-tech
systems and materials'. TNO is a fully independent R&D organization with a staff of approx. 4570 employees. The
turnover of TNO in 2006 was 570 M€. TNO's primary mission is to support industry, the authorities, and other groups of
the community in technological innovation, and to assist clients in solving technological problems. TNO frequently
participates in EU programs.
www.holstcentre.com
Brunel University in West London is a dynamic institution with over 15,000 students and nearly 900 academic staff
operating in a vibrant culture of research excellence. Brunel participates in the project with 2 centres: the Human-
Centred Design Institute (HCDI) and The Wolfson Centre For Materials Processing (WMP).
www.brunel.ac.uk
24. UCL is a London university with more than 8,000 academic staff and 25,000 students. It is dedicated to teaching and
research across the full range of academic subjects from medicine to philosophy, from architecture to chemistry, from
physics to anthropology. It is ranked seventh in the world by the QS World University Rankings (2011), and third in the
UK overall (RAE 2008). The following department will be involved:
Institute of Making: a multidisciplinary research institute bringing together experts in materials and making from UCL
including materials scientists,engineers, physicists, chemists, architects, designers, anthropologists, archaeologists,
artists, medics, humanities academics and many more.
www.ucl.ac.uk
Mälardalen University (MDH) is one of Sweden's largest institutes of higher education. The University has over 13,000
students studying one of its approximately 68 programs and 900 courses.
The School of Innovation, Design and Engineering (IDT) is one of Mälardalen University's four schools. IDT does research
in Embedded systems and Innovation and Product Realisation. The Innovation and Product Realization group is a national
leader in research in product realisation and hosts some major strategic initiatives in close cooperation with Swedish
industry as XPRES and the industrial graduate school Innofacture.
www.mdh.se
