Core substrate tpu drives growth! covestro × denso enhance in-car interior experience

Covestro and Jiangsu Genofort have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop an ultra-flexible printed electronic haptic interaction system for automotive interiors, in response to the growing market demand for intelligent interactive cabin environments, and to create in-vehicle interior solutions that can respond to the needs of drivers and passengers.

This collaboration will leverage Covestro's technological advantages in the field of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film substrates and Denoshu's expertise in haptic interaction assembly systems. Denoshu is a global company focused on the research and application of ultra-flexible, soft printed electronic products for automotive interiors.

Covestro and Denoshu have entered into a partnership to jointly advance the research, development, and industrialization of ultra-flexible printed electronic haptic interaction systems for automotive interiors. Image source: Covestro

Intelligent cockpit technology continues to upgrade.

New-generation cockpit design concepts are emerging one after another: seats can sense occupants’ body types and automatically adjust posture, greatly enhancing ride comfort; interior surfaces can recognize touch commands and deliver precise haptic feedback. However, as interior styling becomes increasingly complex, traditional rigid materials and hard wiring are difficult to adapt, and generally suffer from insufficient flexibility, poor durability, and high integration difficulty, posing a major obstacle to the implementation of these functions.

According to the Memorandum of Understanding, Covestro will take the lead in the R&D and industrialization of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film substrates. TPU films offer excellent flexibility, durability, processing compatibility, ink adhesion, and long-term stability, making them a core substrate for ultra-flexible printed electronic systems and helping to build a complete integrated industry chain.

Focus on core interior application scenarios

The collaboration will focus on the center console, steering wheel, door trim panels, seats, and headliner interior components, aiming to integrate functions such as body-shape sensing, posture-adaptive adjustment, temperature control, health monitoring, and intelligent touch interaction into a unified solution, while enhancing both the driving and riding experience and the level of cockpit intelligence.

两家企业还计划携手推动相关行业标准制定，加快超柔性触觉技术在汽车行业的商业化落地与普及应用。

Weihong Du, Head of Market and Development for Specialty Films in the Asia-Pacific region at Covestro, stated: "The next-generation smart cockpit demands new requirements for interior materials. The materials not only need to adapt to complex curved designs but also must support sensing and interactive functions. Our collaboration with Denoise aims to bridge material innovation and system integration, promoting the flexible tactile interaction technology from the laboratory to mass production, and providing automakers with differentiated product solutions."