Guest Editorial Special Issue on Papers From the IEEE FLEPS Conference 2019

In recent years, material printing on flexible and disposable substrates has received substantial interest for realizing low cost electronic and sensing systems on large-areas. As a result, new methods such as printing and additive manufacturing, etc. have received significant attention to develop a wide range of easily deployable systems such as displays, sensors, and RFID smart tags. The technologies developed for silicon-based planar electronics and solid-state sensors is also being repurposed to meet the demands in the emerging field of flexible and printed sensors. This trend will continue as all market indicators point towards significant growth in this area. The exponential growth in flexible, printed and disposable sensor technology, the development of novel printable and solution processable nanomaterials, and the development of novel printing techniques have brought about a new wave of novel printed sensor technologies and applications. Considering this growth, it became necessary to provide a forum to discuss latest developments in the field and to bring together academia and industry to lay the future roadmap. The IEEE International Conference on Flexible and Printable Sensors and Systems (IEEE FLEPS) aims to be such a forum. The 2019 conference was the first edition, started by IEEE Sensors Council, with an aim to be a premier conference in the world. The high standards of the conference will be ensured by the steering committee and the track chairs formed by world-leading experts in the field.