This case describes the umbrella organization Printed Electronics Arena (PEA) which is situated in the Norrköping region, Sweden. The strategy of the PEA organization is based on the triple helix model, which is an academic model that promotes regional development through the interaction between academy, public bodies, and industry. The main asset is a new technology – printed electronics (PE) - that the research institute Acreo and Linköping University (LiU) are creating, developing and exploiting. Acreo and LiU in co-operation with regional municipalities, industrial partners, a business incubator and a science park are active stakeholders in PEA. To that end, the PEA organization has three financiers; the Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA), the Norrköping Regional Development Foundation (NRDF) and Acreo. The case provides an overview from the triple helix level that pinpoints the relationship between actors involved. In addition to that, the case describes PEA from a business perspective, and then goes on to describe new potential business ideas based on PE.
The account of the case begins with local politics and the ambitious expansion of LiU in Norrköping. Then, the case describes the efforts of the triple helix actors to attract research resources to Campus Norrköping. Also, the establishment of the research institute Acreo in Norrköping is depicted as well as how the specific PE technology became established at the campus. The case then describes the birth of the umbrella organization PEA and illustrates how it is based on the earlier activities of Acreo. The activities and the result of PEA as well as two illustrating cases finish off the portrayal of the first stages of the PEA project.