Professor Matti Mäntysalo develops printable and energy-efficient electronics

At the core of Mäntysalo’s work are printed electronics, novel materials, and energy-efficient manufacturing methods. For him, the focus is not only on individual technical innovations, but on changing the entire mindset of the electronics industry.

“We make electronics, but we constantly ask: could it be done using fewer natural resources, more energy-efficiently, and without materials that are harmful to the environment?” he summarizes.

At Tampere University, research on sustainable electronics advances in close cooperation with companies so that new solutions can actually be manufactured, scaled, and introduced into society. For Mäntysalo, industry is the bridge between research and real-world impact.
 

Everything Starts with the Manufacturing Method

Traditional electronics are produced at high temperatures using chemically intensive processes. Mäntysalo’s group is moving in the opposite direction: printed, additive manufacturing, where material is added only where it is needed.

In printed electronics, familiar printing techniques such as screen printing, inkjet printing, and roll-to-roll production are used. By printing layers sequentially, functional electronic structures can be built—conductors, sensors, capacitors, and even transistors—without traditional metal etching.

“We add material only where it is needed. That way, we avoid a large share of chemicals and save enormous amounts of energy.”

This so-called additive manufacturing approach significantly reduces material waste and chemical use compared to conventional printed circuit board manufacturing.

Lowering manufacturing temperatures is, according to Mäntysalo, one of the key factors in sustainability.

"When the temperature goes down, manufacturing consumes less energy. When less energy is used, CO₂ emissions decrease. The chain is very direct.”

At the same time, lower temperatures enable the use of entirely new materials.

“At low temperatures, we can introduce bio-based or even biodegradable materials that simply would not survive traditional electronics manufacturing processes.”

Photo: Harri Hinkka

Electronics Without Critical Raw Materials?

“If we talk about batteries, they use a lot of critical and environmentally harmful materials. We are studying alternatives such as supercapacitors, which can be made without critical raw materials.”

The research extends even to everyday materials.

“In a basic cell, we have carbon, water, salt, paper, a bit of plastic, and aluminum—essentially the same materials found in juice cartons. In principle, electronics could function using materials similar to a children’s juice box.”

Mäntysalo emphasizes that the goal is not to replace the entire electronics world.

“Not every application requires the highest possible performance. In many cases, much lower requirements are sufficient. These solutions should not be seen as replacements but as complementary.”

This will not replace high-performance microchips. This is complementary technology: the right solution for the right place.

Matti Mäntysalo

When Electronics Decompose in Nature

Perhaps the most radical aspect of the research concerns biodegradable electronics. The idea may sound contradictory: why make electronics that decompose?

“We are going to have billions, even trillions, of sensors in the world. Some of them will inevitably be single-use. For example, sensors used to measure human health cannot be reused.”

In such cases, recycling alone is not enough.

“Could some electronics be designed to safely decompose in nature or go directly into paper or plastic recycling? So that the materials return to nature’s own cycle?”

One application area is digital agriculture and environmental monitoring. In the joint SOIL project with VTT (Sustainable Organics and metal oxide ICT via biodegradable, high-performance flexible Low-voltage electronics, 2023 – 2025), Mäntysalo and his team have studied the development of biodegradable electronic components. High-frequency components and electronic circuits needed for wireless data transmission in sensors are developed using materials typically found in soil, utilizing additive manufacturing methods. In addition, energy-saving manufacturing processes are developed using low-temperature thin-film coating techniques.

"Sensors could be placed in the soil to measure conditions and then simply decompose there without altering the soil’s composition.”
 

Healthcare That Comes Home

Sustainable electronics is not only about environmental protection but also social sustainability. Healthcare, in particular, is an area where inexpensive and easily manufactured electronics could make a major difference.

“If we can produce affordable home diagnostic devices, care can become better and more efficient while saving significant societal resources.”

Various wearable sensors will enable remote monitoring at home, allowing tests to be carried out before hospital procedures and enabling follow-up after discharge—saving healthcare resources. Sensors can measure, for example, respiratory rate, oxygen saturation, heart rate, temperature, and cardiac function. Measurement data are transmitted to a system that analyzes them, provides monitoring information, and issues alerts when necessary.

This would open new possibilities for sparsely populated regions—in Finland and globally. 

“Services could truly be delivered even to areas that hospitals cannot easily reach.”
 

Finland as a Global Leader in Printed Electronics

Although the field is global, Finland’s position is exceptionally strong.

“In terms of publication volume, Finland is the seventh largest country in the world in printed electronics. Relative to population, we are at the very top.”