SUINK (SUstainable self-charging power systems developed by INKjet printing) is a Horizon Europe research and innovation project aiming to design and implement sustainable, flexible and printable self-charging power systems to supply power to a wide range of sensors for the automotive industry.

The project is looking for an alternative to the conventional materials (many of which are classified as Critical Raw Materials) used to manufacture electronic materials. It recognises that manufacturing processes need to be more energy-efficient, produce less waste, consume fewer resources and emit fewer pollutants, and the use of power devices with energy harvesting and storage systems (self-charging power systems) is a good solution. The project is also focusing on end of life: electronic waste is one of the fastest growing waste streams worldwide, contributing to the loss of valuable resources. New practices are needed to make sure that electronic products are collected and recycled to a high standard.

In response to these challenges, SUINK aims to develop green solutions to produce innovative sensors able to create their own energy rather than needing electricity from the vehicle’s battery. These self-charging power systems will be based on the combination of biobased, conductive, dielectric and piezoelectric inks that will be applied by inkjet printing on biobased flexible surfaces. They will harvest electrical energy from mechanical vibrations.

This innovative technology will be applied to produce temperature, humidity and strain sensors used in the automotive sector, exploiting vibrations from the moving vehicle as a source of energy. Further applications will include the development of a new recyclable energy-harvesting textile material to be used in vehicles’ interiors.

By reducing the weight of components, the SUINK project will help increase the productivity and energy efficiency of the automotive industry. It follows a fully circular approach: from design to the end-of-life of products, implementing new recyclability and reusability protocols.