Monterey, CA – February 21, 2019 – The 2019 FLEXI Awards has recognized outstanding accomplishments in the Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) industry in 2018. Presented yesterday at the 18th annual FLEX 2019 Conference and Exhibition in Monterey, California, the awards spotlight leaders in the categories of R&D Achievements, Product Innovation and Commercialization, Technology & Education Leadership, and Industry Leadership.
R&D Achievement Award Recipient – FLEXI winner FlexEnable developed the world’s first industrially-proven, low-cost flexible transistor technology, allowing displays to be built on plastic. Now entering mass production, this organic LCD (OLCD) technology will soon be used in displays for applications including Smart home appliances, automotive and digital signage.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award for FlexEnable’s groundbreaking plastic organic LCD (OLCD) technology,” said FlexEnable CEO Chuck Milligan. “The award comes at a very exciting time for the company as OLCD enters mass production to deliver a new freedom in product design and novel display applications.”
Product Innovation Award Recipient – American Semiconductor won the FLEXI for the innovative product design of FleX NFC, the industry’s first flexible IC to support NFC communication and new ways to connect to the Internet of Things (IoT).
“We sincerely appreciate this recognition from SEMI-FlexTech and are excited about collaborating with our Semiconductor-on-Polymer Chip Scale Packaging customers,” said Richard Ellinger, VP of Sales and Marketing of American Semiconductor. “Our high-functioning, zero-profile, flexible, durable ICs will enable Smart products in 2019 and beyond."
Technology Champion & Leadership in Education Award Recipient – Mark Poliks, Empire Innovation Professor of Engineering and Director of the Center for Advanced Microelectronics Manufacturing at Binghamton University, won a FLEXI for advancing flexible and printed electronics and for his contributions to the FLEX conference including participating in Calls for Abstracts, leading a Tech Course, and serving on every SEMI-FlexTech committee.
“Mark has long been a leader in integrating engineering education with high-quality research,” said Bahgat Sammakia, VP of research at Binghamton University and Director of its New York State Center of Excellence. “Our students are fortunate to benefit from his mentorship. I appreciate Mark’s innovative approach to working with industry and to bringing real-world challenges into his classroom.”
Industry Leadership Award Recipient – Keith Rollins, formerly with DuPont Teijin Films, won a FLEXI for his dedication and work to commercialize flexible electronics materials. Rollins served as volunteer chair of the UK Plastic Electronics Leadership Group and a member and chair of the SEMI-FlexTech Governing Council.
“I’m honored to receive this award and privileged to have seen the flexible and hybrid electronics market develop in so many exciting directions,” Rollins said. Many thanks to both to my colleagues in the Global DuPont Teijin Films business for their outstanding contributions to this industry and to the leadership and staff of SEMI-FlexTech for making my work with them so rewarding.”
FLEXIs have been the flexible electronics industry’s premier award for distinguished organizations and individuals since 2009. The awards are sponsored by FlexTech, a SEMI Strategic Association partner dedicated to the success of the FHE industry. See the full list of award recipients.
“SEMI salutes this years' corporate winners – FlexEnable and American Semiconductor – for their remarkable accomplishments,” said Michael Ciesinski, VP of SEMI Technology Communities. “In the individual award categories, Keith Rollins and Mark Poliks have been longstanding leaders in their fields and richly deserve this recognition for their exceptional contributions.”
About SEMI
SEMI® connects more than 2,100 member companies and 1.3 million professionals worldwide to advance the technology and business of electronics manufacturing. SEMI members are responsible for the innovations in materials, design, equipment, software, devices, and services that enable smarter, faster, more powerful, and more affordable electronic products. Electronic System Design Alliance (ESD Alliance), FlexTech, the Fab Owners Alliance (FOA) and the MEMS & Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) are SEMI Strategic Association Partners, defined communities within SEMI focused on specific technologies. Since 1970, SEMI has built connections that have helped its members prosper, create new markets, and address common industry challenges together. SEMI maintains offices in Bangalore, Berlin, Brussels, Grenoble, Hsinchu, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley (Milpitas, Calif.), Singapore, Tokyo, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit
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