Covestro and Genofort partner to advance ultra-flexible haptic systems for intelligent automotive interiors
- Collaboration combines advanced TPU films and printed electronics expertise to accelerate next-generation cockpit applications
As automotive interiors evolve into intelligent, interactive spaces, Covestro and Jiangsu Genofort have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to jointly develop and industrialize ultra-flexible printed electronics haptic interaction systems for automotive interior applications.
Emerging cockpit concepts include seats capable of sensing occupant body shape and adapting posture settings for enhanced comfort, as well as interior surfaces that can interpret touch inputs and deliver precise haptic feedback. Yet delivering these functions across increasingly complex three-dimensional designs remains a challenge, as conventional rigid materials and hard circuits often lack the flexibility, durability and integration capability required.
Under the MoU, Covestro will lead the R&D and industrialization of relevant thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) film substrates. With outstanding flexibility, durability, processing versatility, ink adhesion and long-term stability, TPU films are a critical substrate for ultra-flexible printed electronics systems. This complements Genofort’s expertise in the development and industrialization of haptic interaction assembly systems, creating a fully integrated value chain.
The collaboration will focus on key automotive interior applications including center consoles, steering wheels, door panels, seats and headliners, with the ambition of integrating body-shape sensing, adaptive comfort, thermal regulation, health monitoring and responsive touch interaction into unified solutions that enhance both occupant comfort and cabin intelligence.
The two companies also plan to jointly support the development of relevant industry standards, helping accelerate commercialization and broader adoption of ultra-flexible haptic technologies across the automotive sector.
“The next generation of intelligent cockpits places entirely new demands on interior materials. They must not only conform to complex surfaces, but also enable sensing and interaction functions,” said Weihong Du, Head of Marketing and Development Asia-Pacific, Specialty Films, Covestro. “Through our collaboration with Genofort, we aim to bring material innovation and system integration closely together, helping advance flexible haptic interaction technology from the laboratory to large-scale production and delivering differentiated solutions for automotive customers.”
“Ultra-flexible haptic interaction systems represent a critical direction for the intelligent transformation of automotive interiors,” said Lingyao Lu, Chairman of Genofort. “Covestro’s leadership in high-performance film materials forms a powerful complement to our proprietary system integration technology. This collaboration will accelerate the global adoption of ultra-flexible printed electronics, enable us to enter the global premium supply chain, and together open new frontiers in this arena.”
About Genofort:
Genofort is an innovative global company specializing in ultra-flexible & soft printed electronics, with focus on haptic interaction solutions for automotive interior applications.
The company’s self-developed “AIC (Adaptive Interaction Circuit)” technology represents the next-gen solution for interior comfort and control systems of L3/L4 autonomous driving. By enabling a seamless interaction upgrade of “Identifying → Analyzing → Understanding”, AIC introduces “the third sense” to vehicles, extending beyond traditional vision and hearing.
Bring haptics back to interior. Empower embodied robots with haptic perception. To realize this, Genofort delivers comprehensive haptic solutions through its AIC technology, allowing printed circuits to be seamlessly applied to any surface across embodied robotics, electronic skin, and consumer electronics. Furthermore, the company has achieved a major breakthrough in energy efficiency, with its comfort functional layer reducing power consumption by over 30% compared to conventional technologies.
Headquartered in Germany with its Asian headquarters located in Wuxi, China. As a vibrant and innovative company, Genofort has maintained an explosive growth trajectory, achieving an average annual sales growth rate of 300% over the past two years.
About Covestro:
Covestro is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of high-quality polymer materials and their components. With its innovative products, processes and methods, the company helps enhance sustainability and the quality of life in many areas. Covestro supplies customers around the world in key industries such as mobility, building and living, as well as the electrical and electronics sector. In addition, polymers from Covestro are also used in sectors such as sports and leisure, telecommunications and health, as well as in the chemical industry itself.
The company is geared completely to the circular economy. In addition, Covestro aims to achieve climate neutrality for its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2035, and the Group’s Scope 3 emissions are also set to be climate neutral by 2050. Covestro generated sales of EUR 12.9 billion in fiscal year 2025. At the end of 2025, the company had 46 production sites worldwide and employed approximately 17,600 people (calculated as full-time equivalents).
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Covestro AG. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Covestro’s public reports which are available at www.covestro.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.