Collaboration That Drives Innovation

Meeting industry demand

For more than 170 years, Lohmann has been developing both standard and customised adhesive tape solutions for many industries, including the medical industry. From wound care to diagnostics, and from long-wear and ostomy to single-use tapes. ‘Even the adhesive tape industry must constantly innovate to stay competitive,’ begins Volker Lutz, Business Development Manager at Lohmann. ‘So, in 2021, Lohmann was exploring ways to bring even more value to our customers by developing smart, connected health patches.’

Health patches are a digital, wearable monitors that continuously track, for example, a patient’s heart rate, glucose and insulin levels, breathing, or other vital functions. This provides physicians with a consistent, clear, and trackable record of patient health, without the need for regular patient visits. The data collected from the health patches not only enables more informed decision-making, but relieves medical staff of the need for constant testing and monitoring. Patients can simply live their lives, while their health is consistently monitored. If needed, intervention can be swifter.

Recognising the need

Although innovators and developers in their own right, Lohmann did not have the facilities or expertise to design the intricate, flexible, printed electronics required to make effective health patches. But, through previous working relationships, Volker knew TNO at Holst Centre was already an expert in the technology.

‘There is a tremendous demand in the market for these innovative patches. But due to the complexity of these products, the right platform and toolbox for effective patches that can be produced at a very large scale are missing,’ Volker says. ‘Significant gaps exist between the technology that enables them, and the OEMs that would eventually sell the patches. We wanted to see if our combined expertise could close those gaps and accelerate health patch development.’

Addressing common challenges

The gaps were obvious for TNO at Holst Centre, too. ‘Our unique printed electronics had already proven to work for health patches, and we were manually producing them in small batches for academic research,’ says Charlotte Kjellander, Senior Scientist at TNO at Holst Centre. ‘Our academic partners were constantly asking us to make more, because they were so beneficial to their research. We were searching for a partner that could not only determine the best materials for the patches, but also connect our technology to the industry that could produce them at scale.’

And thus began a three-year, open-innovation partnership. In the beginning, Volker says he was sceptical. ‘Companies like Lohmann aren’t used to innovating alongside other companies. Open innovation projects are often unsettling, because we're not used to sharing our proprietary knowledge with outside parties, especially for new products. But from our first discussions, TNO at Holst Centre clearly outlined each collaborator’s responsibilities, intellectual property rights, and expectations, so there were no surprises. That made us comfortable to move forward.’

Growing together

The partnership was unique for Lohmann in other ways, too. ‘We couldn’t just place an order for printed electronics and wait for them to be delivered,’ Volker says. ‘Each partner needed to contribute, and each partner gained something from the others. We were eager to learn about the technology and what it entailed, and TNO at Holst Centre was keen to learn about the materials and processes that could optimise the patches. We both wanted to see what it would take to mass-produce them.’

For Charlotte, Lohmann’s dedication to the project was crucial. ‘Shared innovation is complex and intense work, but Lohmann really wanted to understand the capabilities of the technology, and were open about their own technologies and processes, too. Being equally dedicated to success is key to strong collaboration. Volker demonstrated Lohmann’s integrity and high values and standards, and the whole project team was very focused. It’s part of TNO’s responsibility as a research organisation to transfer our knowledge to capable companies that can ensure products actually reach the market, and that’s what Lohmann is helping us do.’

Closing the gaps

One crucial element was identifying a partner to print high quantities of complex electronics. ‘Lohmann already had 80% of what is needed to create the patches. But detailed expertise in scalable printed electronics was missing,’ Volker explains. ‘TracXon, a TNO spin-off, was designed specifically to help bring intricate printed electronics to the market faster by managing production of them,’ Volker explains. ‘So, instead of Lohmann needing to build, staff, and fund its own facilities, we could partner with TracXon and benefit immediately from their expertise.’

Ashok Sridhar, CEO of TracXon, explains why the partnership was so fruitful. ‘Producing patches at a large scale is complex enough, and requires maximum automation, high throughput and economies of scale. Adding complex circuitry, such as multi-layered circuits with microcontrollers, LEDs, and more, takes real expertise,’ he begins. ‘And at such large volumes, patch conversion happens in a roll-to-roll process. That means the electronics layer for the specific patch also needs to be delivered in a roll-to-roll setup. TracXon is one of very few companies that can deliver printed electronics in a roll.’

For Ashok, the partnership was both challenging and refreshing. ‘Lohman is an ambitious and innovative company with a global presence. TracXon is a start-up. Yet Lohman treated us with respect and dedicated their attention to our ongoing interactions. It is always pleasant and productive to work with them.’

Tackling the complexity

Along the way, the team had plenty of complex issues to address. ‘Health patches may look simple, but they are composed of up to 20 layers of materials,’ Charlotte explains. ‘Finding the right combination of materials, assembly processes, and analytics for each type of patch takes time and testing. Lohmann and TracXon demonstrated real commitment to ensuring that those explorations were timely, effective, and beneficial.’

Volker adds that the complexity extends beyond the patches themselves. ‘We’re not trying to replace something that’s already on the market; we’re creating something new. So, we need to ensure that the right systems and partners are in place to carry the innovation forward and make it accessible in the market. In Europe, health patches are prescription-based, so we’re also uncovering the requirements for reimbursement setups, and addressing the specific legal and specification requirements of each market we wish to enter. We’re making good progress towards a feasible platform and toolbox.’

Moving forward

TNO, Lohmann, and TracXon intend to continue their work together, now that the official project has concluded. ‘We want to take full advantage of the open communication, teamwork, and progress we’ve made so far,’ Charlotte says.

Volker encourages any company considering a partnership with Holst Centre to be ready to contribute as much as you gain. ‘No one has the full capabilities to take all the right steps and make all the right moves in an innovation process. Harnessing the power of another organisation’s expertise can accelerate development. And partnering with Holst Centre is a way to do that. But be ready to fully engage with your partners. Without engagement, you won’t get very far. For Lohmann, Holst Centre and TracXon were truly partners that helped us accelerate.’