Chamond Media

Hello and welcome to printconnect, the podcast where we explore the technologies and ideas shaping the future of specialist and industrial printing.

When most people hear the word “ink”, they think colour, decoration and graphics. But increasingly, inks are becoming active materials – capable of sensing pressure, generating electrical signals and embedding intelligence directly into surfaces.

Today we’re looking at what happens when chemistry moves beyond aesthetics and into functionality.

I’m joined by Jérémie Flageul, Sales Director at VFP Ink Technologies. With more than 25 years of experience in technical ink development, VFP is now focusing heavily on functional materials and printed electronics, including the development of a piezoelectric ink designed to integrate sensing capabilities directly into printed structures.

Jeremy, welcome to printconnect.

Jeremy Flageul

Thank you – nice to be here.

Chamond Media

Before we dive into the technology, let’s start with the company itself. Can you tell me a little about VFP Ink Technologies and how you would describe VFP today?

Jeremy Flageul

VFP has been manufacturing technical inks in France for over 25 years. We are a chemistry-driven company focused on functionality. We design materials that bring electrical performance to surfaces – whether that’s conduction, insulation, sensing or interaction.

Today, innovation in printed electronics is at the core of our strategy.

Chamond Media

And what does innovation really mean inside VFP? What’s in your DNA?

Jeremy Flageul

For us, innovation is not just about lab performance. It’s about creating materials that are reliable, scalable and ready for production lines.

Over the past years, customer demand has really pushed us forward. Many of our projects begin with a specific customer need. We work closely with them to develop new inks tailored to their applications.

Chamond Media

So when it comes to an idea, how does that move through VFP – from initial concept to something an industrial customer can confidently run on a production line?

Jeremy Flageul

It’s based on three main pillars: strong in-house R&D, close collaboration with industrial customers, and constant technology monitoring.

From the start, we work simultaneously on electrical performance, process compatibility – mainly screen printing for us – and long-term stability.

Our philosophy is simple: what works in the lab must also work on a production line.

Chamond Media

And how do you test scalability and long-term durability?

Jeremy Flageul

Step by step. We start with lab samples, move to small production runs, and as we validate each stage, we scale up. Once we have consistent green lights, we move to full production.

Chamond Media

What has changed in printed electronics to make it commercially viable now? And why is this strategic for VFP?

Jeremy Flageul

Over the past few years, surfaces have become increasingly intelligent. Functional inks – including silver, carbon, dielectric and piezoelectric inks – allow customers to print circuits, sensors, antennas and touch interfaces directly onto substrates.

This opens opportunities across automotive, healthcare, industrial equipment and connected devices. It aligns perfectly with our expertise in functional chemistry.

Chamond Media

You mentioned piezoelectric ink. For listeners who may not be deep into materials science, what is it and what does it enable?

Jeremy Flageul

A piezoelectric ink generates an electrical signal when pressure or vibration is applied. Conversely, it can deform when voltage is applied.

Instead of adding a separate sensor component, you can print the sensing function directly into the surface.

A familiar example would be haptic feedback, like the home button on older smartphones. Other applications include pressure and vibration sensors, as well as energy harvesting in connected wearables such as smart insoles.

Traditionally, piezoelectricity requires a discrete component. With an ink, the function becomes part of the printed layer. That means lighter systems, simpler assembly, flexible designs and easier integration into multi-layer structures.

We move from adding a component to printing a function.

Chamond Media

And innovation only matters if it works industrially. What differentiates VFP’s Piezo Electron ink?

Jeremy Flageul

Several key points.

First, it is PFAS-free, making it a cleaner option for manufacturing and easier to integrate across international markets.

Second, it requires five times lower poling voltage, because the particles are already crystallised in their active phase.

It does not require beta-phase crystallisation under controlled temperature, simplifying the process significantly.

We also offer both solvent and UV-curable versions, which simplifies multilayer processing.

Overall, that means a simpler process, lower energy consumption and easier scalability.

Chamond Media

If I’m an industrial manufacturer listening today, what problem are you solving?

Jeremy Flageul

We help integrate sensing functions without increasing system complexity.

Instead of adding more components, you print directly onto the surface. The ink is compatible with screen printing and works on most flexible substrates.

It offers stable performance and reduces risk in multilayer designs, allowing smaller designs and suitability for low-power devices.

It’s about performance and reliability combined with process simplicity.

Chamond Media

What new applications excite you most?

Jeremy Flageul

Pressure and vibration sensors in automotive applications are very promising.

Touch interfaces with haptic feedback improve human-machine interaction.

Energy harvesting in connected wearables, such as smart insoles, opens possibilities for health monitoring, activity tracking and workplace safety.

What excites me most is embedding intelligence directly into the surface of a connected device.

Chamond Media

What timelines are realistic for mainstream adoption?

Jeremy Flageul

For niche or startup projects, adoption can happen quickly. For broader, large-scale industrial adoption, I would say within five years.

Chamond Media

Looking five to ten years ahead, how do you see functional inks evolving?

Jeremy Flageul

Electronics will become more integrated, more flexible and almost invisible.

Car body panels, textiles, packaging and industrial equipment will become smart and interactive.

Functional inks will enable that transformation by integrating intelligence directly into surfaces rather than adding separate devices.

Innovation is not just about performance – it’s about industrial integration, sustainability and process simplicity.

With our piezo ink, we aim to offer a solution that is technologically advanced but ready for industrial production.

Chamond Media

In one sentence, what does innovation represent for VFP?

Jeremy Flageul

Designing materials that solve technological, industrial and environmental challenges at the same time.

Chamond Media

And where can listeners learn more?

Jeremy Flageul

Please visit our website or contact us directly. We’re always happy to discuss new projects.

Chamond Media (Closing)

What stands out here is the shift from printing as decoration to printing as functionality – where surfaces are no longer passive, but active parts of a system.

For industrial manufacturers, the opportunity isn’t just technical performance – it’s integration, scalability and long-term reliability.

We’ll include further details in the episode notes.

If you’re enjoying printconnect, make sure you’re subscribed so you don’t miss upcoming conversations with the people driving innovation across specialist printing.

Thanks for listening – and we’ll see you next time.