Research Articles

Graphene has already come a long way towards commercialisation, despite its short history. But really hard questions still remain about what comes next and how to grow revenues.

How is it that some analysts put pure-electric car sales at hundreds of thousands in 2012 whereas others report a mere 60-65,000? At analysts IDTechEx, we feel that a lack of rigor is largely to blame because there are cars homologated as such and car-like vehicles that are not homologated as cars.

IDTechEx has recently launched an online browser-based Market Intelligence Portal , bringing you in-depth market intelligence and independent analysis throughout the year.

The day is coming when electric vehicles (EVs) land, water and airborne are as much as 80% electronics and electrics if we include the power components.

The market for dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) is forecasted to slowly grow to over $130 million by 2023 according to market research company IDTechEx, as discussed extensively in the newly published report Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSC/DSC) 2013-2023: Technologies, Markets, Players.

The new report from IDTechEx titled Printed, Organic & Flexible Electronics: Forecasts, Players & Opportunities 2013-2023 finds that the total market for these technologies will grow from $16.04 billion in 2013 to $76.79 billion in 2023.

IDTechEx has been forecasting all electric vehicle markets - land, water and air - for 13 years. On 22 & 23 May we will be hosting a free webinar "Electric Vehicles 2013-2023 - Forecasts and Outlook".

Variously called Printed, Flexible or Organic Electronics, it is one of the fastest growing technologies in the world. It is of vital interest to industries as diverse as consumer goods, healthcare, mobility, electronics, media and architecture.

IDTechEx Research finds that the electroactive polymer (EAP) market will be US$ 245 million in 2013.

Attendance at last week's Printed Electronics Europe 2013 event grew by over 20%. The highly successful conference and tradeshow, hosted by IDTechEx, covered the broad range of emerging materials and devices, including OLEDs, touch surfaces, TFTs, stretchable and textile electronics, energy generation and much more. Presentations, exhibitors and attendees covered the full supply chain from materials to their final application in verticals such as the media, consumer electronics, the internet of things and even vehicles.

IDTechEx, the leading Research and Events company covering emerging technologies, has launched new subscription offerings across its range of topics.

Most electric vehicle sectors are profitable and growing. Toyota has nearly half of the $63 billion global market for electric vehicles land, water and air, according to an IDTechEx analysis in the new report, Hybrid and Pure Electric Vehicles for Land, Water and Air 2013-2023: Forecasts, Technologies, Players.

The winners of the IDTechEx Energy Harvesting and Wireless Sensor Networks Awards were announced at the 5th annual conference and exhibition in Berlin, Germany on Wednesday the 17th of April during the keynote sessions.

The annual printed electronics award winners were announced at the IDTechEx Printed Electronics event this week in Berlin, Germany.

OLED lighting developments are taking place worldwide, with a lot of the research focused on phosphorescent OLED materials, which have a theoretical luminous efficacy four times higher than fluorescent materials.

Maxwell Technologies, which has been the leader in supercapacitors worldwide, has been overstating its results by improperly recording certain sales through distributors.

As more and more companies are gearing up and demonstrating flexible display prototypes the need for protection of these new devices that are freed from the constraints of conventional rigid form factors is highlighted once more.

LCD panel makers in Taiwan, Japan and Korea have been suffering. Despite the growing demand for LCDs the high number of panel makers and new competition from China has resulted in tough price competition for panel makers, to the point that many panel makers are no longer profitable.

Supercapacitors replace lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries replace nickel metal hydride and lead acid batteries. There are side stories of course. Some supercapacitors replace electrolytic capacitors and others create new applications. However, in this article, we concentrate on replacing lithium-ion batteries.

On April 17-18, the Printed Electronics Europe conference and exhibition in Berlin, Germany, will feature "Manufacturing Street" - a live, multi-technology, printed electronics demonstration.

For more information on the topic of thermoelectrics and how they can be used in energy harvesting applications, attend Energy Harvesting and Storage in Berlin, Germany, on the 17th and 18th of April 2013.

More and more consumer electronics devices feature a touch screen, which is already considered a must have for new devices. The next big topic will be haptic feedback solutions outperforming the poor vibration-based feedback that is the standard today. Adding haptic and sound feedback to touch screens using electro active polymers (EAPs) will be a featured topic at TCF LIVE Europe 2013 .

IDTechEx is delighted to host the first INTRASME Electric Vehicle Opportunity Workshop 2013 which will now be a free session for a full day.

Electric aircraft are an idea whose time has come. Electrically propelled manned aircraft are selling profitably today in small numbers. They take the form of pure electric fixed wing microlights and motorised hang gliders. At the other extreme, airliners that have electric nosewheels have arrived making them electric vehicles when on the ground, hugely reducing noise and air pollution and making them independent of tugs. Yet that is only the beginning and the story is now rapidly unfolding across the whole industry.

The once rising price of indium generated an emerging TCF (Transparent Conductive Film) industry offering alternatives to ITO (indium tin oxide). The same is now happening with silver.

IDTechEx have recently strengthened their research capabilities by appointing a new Senior Technology Analyst, Dr Wendy Kneissl.

Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) are coming in three waves.

It has been a slow path to commercialize smart packaging. Despite strong needs such as the aging population, tougher legislation, huge waste, more demanding consumers and concerns about safety and crime; commercial success has been mixed.

Energy harvesting - harvesting abundant energy from the environment to power small devices or assist larger devices - has secured a sure foot-hold in building and industrial markets, powering wireless sensors to improve efficiency, reduce costs and increase automation.

Supercapacitors (ultracapacitors) are now center stage for designers of electronics and particularly power circuits. This is because they are improving faster than the batteries and electrolytic capacitors they increasingly replace. More subtly, they reduce the need for and danger from lithium-ion batteries. For example, when placed across a rechargeable battery, they protect it from fast charging and discharging and allow more of the energy in the battery to be utilised. Learn more ...

IDTechEx are pleased to launch TCF LIVE! - a new conference and tradeshow covering the latest technologies and application of transparent conductive films (TCF) - covering raw materials through to the full range of applications.

In this article, we look at other aspects of what will and will not happen with electric vehicles land, water and air in 2013, whether they are hybrid or pure electric.

The hybrid and pure electric vehicle business will continue to prosper in 2013, with profits and growth the norm in most sectors. Laws will proliferate that make electric vehicles the only way to go.

The days when piezoelectric energy harvesting was considered unreliable and had low power output are long gone. Hand in hand with the development of ultra low power electronics, energy harvesters have been drastically improving also.

This article shares some of the research in the newly updated IDTechEx report, "Stretchable Electronics Comes to Market."

More than 1500 people attended the world leading Printed Electronics USA 2012 event in Santa Clara, CA earlier this month. The event featured 116 exhibitors, up more than 32% on the previous year.