Meta Materials, Panasonic Industry Collaborate on Next Generation Transparent Conductive Materials

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Meta Materials Inc., an advanced materials and nanotechnology company and a leading solution provider in the field of multi-functional transparent conductive materials, and Panasonic Industry Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Industry), an operating company in charge of device business within the Panasonic Group with a proprietary and scalable process technology which delivers fine line low resistance and high transparency conductive films, have been jointly developing a strategic collaboration from design to mass production. This joint effort is expected to strengthen the supply of NANOWEB® films and accelerate the growth of the transparent conductive film industry, offering new applications for the automotive and consumer electronics sectors, such as transparent film antennas, transparent film heaters, and transparent film electromagnetic shielding.

Today there is an emerging need for ultra-low sheet resistance and high optical performance, especially required for large area applications such as flexible solar cells, smart windows for next generation communications and transparent heaters for automotive applications. According to BCC Research, the global market for transparent conductive films is projected to grow at a 9.2% CAGR, from $4.9 billion in 2020, to $7.6 billion by 2025.

"Our strategic collaboration with Panasonic Industry represents a pivotal moment for META. We have selected Panasonic Industry to mass produce our patented designs due to their outstanding process technology, coupled with their automotive-grade quality, which supports our common goal to expand the transparent conductive materials sector," stated George Palikaras, President and CEO of META. "This collaboration allows us to pool our collective know-how, setting new benchmarks for the industry."

Panasonic Industry's low resistance and high transmittance transparent conductive film has been mass-produced since 2018 in response to the demand for high performance and upsizing touch sensors. META has been successfully working with Panasonic Industry under a Master Services Agreement for several months, resulting in the successful qualification and production of several NANOWEB® proprietary designs for various applications.

Panasonic Industry's Director of Touch Solutions Business Unit Yuichi Yoshikawa, expressed equal enthusiasm about the collaboration, stating, "We are excited to join forces with META to push the boundaries of transparent conductive materials. This collaboration will be able to provide unprecedented value to the world with the most advanced solutions. Together, we will create new possibilities for various applications, and the industry."

The collaboration between META and Panasonic Industry combines the design power of NANOWEB® metal mesh designs with Panasonic Industry's leading proprietary and scalable process technology in transparent conductive films. Together, they will offer cutting-edge alternatives that surpass industry standards and set new benchmarks.

Panasonic Industry and Meta Materials will be showcasing at the Panasonic Industry booth at CEATEC 2023, Japan's leading comprehensive technology exhibition, from October 17 to 20, 2023. The partners will demonstrate a microwave oven with a transparent EMI shielding window, transparent antennas, and transparent heaters for deicing and defogging of automotive ADAS sensors. These demonstrations will highlight the superior performance and versatility of the metal mesh solutions developed through this collaboration.