The use of piezoelectric thick films based on lead zirconate titanate (PZT) deposited by screen printing and direct writing techniques on different substrates, including alumina, steel and silicon, for sensors and energy conversion is reported. Resonant sensors with contactless interrogation by means of a gated technique are experimentally demonstrated on humidity and temperature sensing. Energy harvesters from broadband vibrations based on multi-element arrays and nonlinear structures, and from rotational motion based on frequency up-conversion are described. (C) 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.