Electronics are everywhere – from healthcare and agriculture to packaging and logistics – but the way they are made has long carried a high environmental cost. At Tampere University, Professor Matti Mäntysalo and his research group are challenging that status quo by advancing printed electronics and low-energy manufacturing methods that could fundamentally reshape the electronics industry. Rather than focusing solely on individual components, the research targets the entire production system. The goal is clear: make electronics that are flexible, scalable, and dramatically more sustainable, without sacrificing real-world usability. Manufacturing as the starting point Traditional electronics manufacturing relies on high temperatures, complex chemical processes, and material-intensive methods such as etching. Printed electronics flip that logic entirely. Using techniques adapted from the printing industry, such as screen printing, inkjet printing, and roll-to-roll production, electronic components are built layer by layer, adding material only where required. Conductive paths, sensors, capacitors, and even transistors can be printed directly onto flexible substrates. This additive approach significantly reduces waste and chemical use compared to conventional printed circuit board manufacturing. It also …