E-paper: from virtual to reality

Posted by Jean Yves Chainon on January 31, 2007 at 11:25 AM

E-paper has long been in the mouths of newspaper industry analysts and editors. It has failed to materialize and be produced efficiently so far, but now it’s just around the corner.

UK-based Plastic Logic is specialized in e-paper introduction. It revealed that its new plant in Germany, the first factor to manufacture plastic electronics for massive consumption, should be able to produce a million sheets of e-paper.

This could mark the beginning of widespread e-paper production and consumption throughout the world.

The e-paper can download a newspaper or book wirelessly, and its battery autonomy is expected to last more than a thousand pages. Plastic Logic claims it will offer a similar reading experience to that of paper, and be as portable as a newspaper sheet.

The investors are serious too, this time around. Equity firms Oak Investment Partners and Tudor Investment Corporation led a first investment closing of $100 million. Amadeus, Intel Capital, Bank of America, BASF Venture Capital, Quest for Growth and Merifin Capital: all are among the big names who have invested in the now-realistic project.

According to James Forsyth, writer for The Business, “the financing is one of the largest in the history of European venture capital”.

2008 could give birth to the e-paper revolution.

Newspapers have already been developing their own strategies: French business title Les Echos announced it should have an e-paper edition available by April, along with its reader.

Perhaps it might be wiser for newspapers to wait until there is a set standard for e-paper platforms, so they can tailor their services to the medium. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be considering the options already.

Source: blackenterprise.org