SEMI FlexTech names 2026 FLEXI Award winners
SEMI FlexTech has announced the winners of its 2026 FLEXI Awards, recognizing standout achievements in flexible hybrid electronics (FHE). The awards were presented at the FLEX Conference on February 25, held at the Wigwam Resort in Phoenix, Arizona.
For eeNews Europe readers tracking the business and technology momentum behind flexible electronics, the awards offer a snapshot of where innovation, sustainability, and workforce development are heading. They also highlight companies and researchers shaping commercialization pathways across aerospace, wearables, manufacturing, and bioelectronics.
FLEXI Awards highlight sustainability, innovation, and leadership
The 2026 FLEXI Awards covered six categories: R&D Achievement, Product Innovation, Environmental Sustainability, Technology Leadership in Workforce Development, Industry Leadership, and Lifetime Achievement.
The Environmental Sustainability Champion Award went to Dr. Masoud Mahjouri-Samani, founder and president of NanoPrintek. The company has developed what it describes as the world’s first dry, ink-free, multimaterial electronics printing platform, aimed at reducing waste and supply-chain dependencies in flexible electronics manufacturing. “We are honored to receive the FLEXI 2026 Award for Environmental Sustainability,” said Dr. Mahjouri-Samani. “At NanoPrintek, sustainability is not an afterthought; it is embedded into the core of our ink-free, dry printing technology. By eliminating inks, solvents, waste streams, and supply-chain-dependent consumables, we enable a fundamentally cleaner, more resilient, and cost-effective way to manufacture electronics. This recognition affirms that sustainable manufacturing and high-performance electronics can, and must, go hand in hand.”
Voltera received the Product Innovation Award for its V-One and NOVA platforms, which support low-cost, low-waste additive manufacturing of flexible circuits. “It is an honor for Voltera to receive this year’s FLEXI Product Innovation award,” said Jesus Zozaya, CEO and co-founder of Voltera. “We are grateful to SEMI FlexTech for recognizing our work of removing barriers and making sustainable, low-cost, and low-waste circuit printing more accessible for everyone in the flexible electronics industry.”
Workforce, research, and lifetime contributions recognized
The Technology Leadership in Workforce Development Award was presented to Dr. Benyamin Davaji of Northeastern University for his work integrating digital twins and AI into flexible electronics education and manufacturing. “This recognition reflects the collective effort to bring digital-twin intelligence and AI into the heart of flexible electronics and semiconductor design and manufacturing,” said Dr. Davaji. “Our goal is to accelerate innovation while broadening access to the tools and knowledge that empower the future workforce.”
Dr. Felippe J. Pavinatto of GE Aerospace received the R&D Achievements Award for his contributions to additive manufacturing, harsh-environment sensors, and functional materials for FHE. “I am very happy and honored to receive the FLEXI Award in the R&D Achievements category,” he said. “This is an amazing recognition coming from an outstanding FHE community at FlexTech.”
The Industry Leadership Award went to Dr. Stephaney D. Shanks, vice president at AV, for advancing wearable sensing and human performance technologies. “I am truly honored to receive the 2026 FLEXI Industry Leadership Award,” said Dr. Shanks. “Throughout my career, I have focused on translating emerging technologies into measurable, real-world impact.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Professor John A. Rogers of Northwestern University, a long-time leader in printed and flexible bioelectronics. “I am truly delighted for our work in this area to be recognized in this manner – efforts that have relied on dozens of collaborators across academia and industry, extending over a continuous span of nearly thirty years,” said Dr. Rogers.
Alongside the FLEXI Awards, SEMI FlexTech also recognized student innovation through the 2026 Innovators of the Future Awards, underscoring the growing pipeline of talent entering the flexible electronics industry.
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