The payoff is a flexible design that can adapt to its environment, embedding electronics on T-shirts, bandages, windows, or plastics. Compared to traditional rigid circuit boards, these designs could reduce costs and improve efficiencies, laying the foundation for more sustainable communication networks. 

“Rather than having many antennas sending energy everywhere and congesting the air, we can have more intelligent antennas that blend in with the environment and send signals directly to everybody’s phone.” 

The efficiencies, Jones says, may also extend to manufacturing. Instead of producing antennas one at a time, roll-to-roll printing can generate millions rapidly, like newspapers streaming off a press. The result is wide coverage delivered quickly and at a fraction of traditional costs. Jones sees applications across sectors, from energy to health care. 

One possibility that especially excites him is sensors printed on medical bandages. These, he says, could detect early infection, spotting changes invisible to the human eye and alerting doctors before problems worsen.