Our scientists are generally known for their tenacity, curiosity and dedication to their field of research. What they’re less known for is their gift-wrapping skills.

That is, until now.

When our flexible electronics team was approached by local label and packaging company Norwood Industries to develop a prototype Christmas gift pack, they came up with a solution truly worthy of the festive season. The pack, which (pretty much, literally) has all the bells and whistles, can be best described as a lightshow in a box.

Most days, our flexible electronics team spend their time transforming the way we make and use electronic devices – from developing paper-thin solar cells that could line skyscrapers, to creating flexible batteries that can be incorporated seamlessly into wearable technology.

But it’s the potential of flexible electronics in dynamic advertising that is attracting a huge amount of attention from the interactive marketing and packaging industries.

The possibilities can be demonstrated by this jolly new gift pack, which uses electroluminescent panels that produce light when an electric field stimulates a thin layer of phosphor. The panels are manufactured using a screen printing process, allowing them to be created in almost any design and colour.

What’s more, they have low power consumption, are cool to the touch, and look pretty darn good.

So, if you’re feeling a sense of inadequacy about your gift-wrapping skills, you’re not the only one.

The good news is that the flexible electronics field is taking huge leaps forward, with products starting to hit the market that are shaped, formed and coloured in ways that bear little resemblance to today’s rigid devices.

Until then, most of us might need to stick to the paper and ribbon.

Find out more about how flexible electronics could change your industry on our website.