Research Articles

IDTechEx analyst Eve Pope discusses the production pathways for biofuels and e-fuels including sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel.

Ion exchange membrane materials are electrically conductive materials responsible for the selective transportation of ions, and are necessary for applications including green hydrogen production, hydrogen fuel cells, and carbon capture. This article covers IDTechEx's research into the growing market and some of the main applications for ion exchange membranes.

From gas separation membranes and carbon capture to sustainable biofuels and next-generation feedstocks, IDTechEx's expansive portfolio of Sustainability Research Reports and Subscriptions covers a huge range of technologies, with deep dives into different sustainable markets, with forecasts for their developments spanning the next decade.

Modern AI and high-performance computing workloads require tremendous amounts of information to be transmitted at enormous speeds between chips, servers, and racks. Traditionally, this has been done with copper wiring over longer distances, but the current generation of architectures has been pushing the physical limits of what copper can achieve, and the industry has been facing a so-called 'interconnect bottleneck'. Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are an emerging class of integrated circuit that seek to break this bottleneck.

IDTechEx analyst Daniel Parr discusses the outlook for materials in EV batteries.

China and the EU are currently leading the way for second-life (2L) electric vehicle (EV) battery application, but a collaboration between AI infrastructure company Crusoe and battery recycler and repurposer Redwood hints at shifting tides, and a potential new global frontrunner emerging.

IDTechEx's latest report, titled "Silicon Photonics and Photonic Integrated Circuits 2026-2036: Technologies, Markets, and Forecasts", offers an in-depth assessment of the latest advancements in PIC technologies. The report comprehensively analyses the key technologies and components including modulators, light sources, waveguides, and material platforms for photonics, as well as assessing the supply chain, market dynamics, and end-use applications.

In this article, IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst Noah El Alami investigates how quantum technologies are driving interest into new material platforms for photonic integrated circuits (PICs).

Direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies will be critical in achieving fast, efficient, and sustainable lithium production in order to meet battery demand. This article highlights the different types of DLE technology, how they compare to each other, and which technologies are anticipated to see greater market uptake.

The emergence of 5G and 6G telecommunications, along with the rise of data center demand and advanced automotive radar systems, is presenting a need for low-loss materials to optimize transmission. This article explores how low-loss materials can prevent transmission losses associated with higher sensitivities and frequencies.

2026 is an exciting time for smart glasses, with several products expected to be launched from big tech players later this year, which will follow Meta's release of the Ray-Ban Display launched in September 2025. The optics required to give AI smart glasses augmented reality (AR) capabilities are called waveguides and are positioned within the eyepiece. There have been several key developments to waveguide technology which are enabling AR smart glasses which are lightweight, have longer battery life, and have a fashionable form factor. IDTechEx forecasts 35 million AR smart glasses to be sold annually by 2036.

IDTechEx's new report "Batteries for Construction, Agriculture, & Mining Machines 2026-2036: Technologies, Players, Forecasts" provides a deep-dive into the fast-growing markets for electric machinery in the off-highway industries of construction, agriculture, and mining. This includes critical insights into battery requirements for the diverse range of machines, which technologies can meet these requirements, detailed supply chain analysis, and granular 10-year forecasts which outline the growth of off-highway battery demand to reach 45 GWh by 2036.

IDTechEx forecasts that the global blue hydrogen market will grow to $52Bn by 2036. Learn about the different technology options in this brief video.

Higher rates of critical material recovery are crucial to insulating supply chains from the introduction of export controls on highly geographically localised primary mineral sources. In this article, IDTechEx presents the valuable lessons that can be learned from the success of the platinum group metals recovery market.

The increased uptake of hydrogen as a fuel will begin to increase the sustainability across a number of sectors. This article explores how the steel and transportation industries in particular are amongst those expected to benefit most significantly from the use of low-carbon hydrogen.

IDTechEx analyst Thomas Bithell discusses the AR smart glass market and the optics used.

Lithium-ion cells are the fundamental technology underlying electrification in the automotive sector. The materials market for lithium-ion cells is broad and rapidly growing. This article explores cell material trends in EV batteries, and the material demand expected from commercialization of next-generation cell technologies.

An overview of the opportunities for materials in quantum computing, quantum sensing and quantum communications.

As the automotive industry continues to be an ever-relevant space, there are plenty of opportunities for composite materials, including those made with natural fibers, to be integrated into both the interiors and exteriors of vehicles. This article covers some of the technologies exhibited at JEC World 2026.

Join IDTechEx Principal Technology Analyst Yu-Han Chang on Thursday 26th March for the expert-led webinar, "AI Chips at the Edge of Success". Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times in one day.

Short-duration battery technologies such as Li-ion and valve-regulated lead acid (VRLA) batteries are typically used in data centers as part of uninterruptible power supply systems (UPS). Data center operators also sign power purchase agreements (PPAs) to secure long-term, stable renewable energy at fixed prices, shielding them from price volatility. However, key shifts in both the energy storage technologies adopted and the long-term methods for power procurement for data centers may evolve over time. This article from IDTechEx covers shifts in the technologies adopted and business strategies data center operators may embrace over the coming years.

The green energy market is increasingly drawing attention as sustainability motivations soar in line with regulation and environmental awareness. This article covers some of the companies exhibiting at JEC World 2026 in Paris, where IDTechEx spoke with multiple players within the composite market.

While blue and green hydrogen dominate the low-carbon hydrogen conversation, turquoise hydrogen is quietly gaining momentum. Produced via methane pyrolysis, it delivers near-zero CO2 emissions without the need for carbon capture. Recently, major industrial players such as ExxonMobil, BASF, and KBR have entered this field once dominated by SMEs. Does this signal a shift toward larger-scale commercialization, and how significant is turquoise hydrogen in the broader hydrogen landscape? In this article, IDTechEx explores the technologies, market potential, and emerging role of turquoise hydrogen in the low-carbon energy transition.

A complimentary collection of insights written by IDTechEx industry experts, covering key technology innovation trends shaping the next decade.

IDTechEx analyst Dr Yu-Han Chang covers the progress and adoption of optical transceivers in high-end data centers.

Producing streamlined devices to measure a number of medical biometrics and creating modern and efficient wearable products are some of the latest achievable possibilities with printed electronics. LOPEC 2026 saw companies showcasing their latest printed electronics technologies emerging into the market.

Join IDTechEx Technology Analyst Daniel Parr on Thursday 19th March for the expert-led webinar, "How EV Battery Material Trends Lead to Lower Prices and Increased Energy Density". Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times in one day.

Co-packaged optics (CPO) is gaining significant attention as the next architecture for next-generation switching. The shift toward co-packaged optics is also reshaping competitive positioning among semiconductor vendors. This article examines the differing approaches of NVIDIA and Broadcom, with further detail available in IDTechEx's latest report, "Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) 2026-2036: Technologies, Market, and Forecasts".

Industrial biomanufacturing occupies a distinctive position in the production of high-value specialty chemicals. This article discusses two of the technology trends in specialty chemical biomanufacturing, the use of cell-free systems and alternative non-sugar feedstocks.

The current conflict in Iran has resulted in a sudden hike in fertilizer prices, now up to US$567 per tonne according to the BBC. Could this drive local low-cost ammonia production?

Join IDTechEx Technology Analyst Daniel Parr on Thursday 12th March for the expert-led webinar, "Lithium-ion Batteries: Growing Demand, Falling Prices". Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times in one day.

Reaching global net-zero by 2050 targets in the marine and aviation sectors will require large-scale e-fuel production. This IDTechEx article provides an explanation of the current e-fuel space.

According to the new IDTechEx report "Humanoid Robots 2026-2036: Technologies, Markets and Opportunities", the humanoid robot industry is entering an early commercialization phase, with adoption expected to scale first in industrial environments before expanding into broader commercial and consumer markets.

Join IDTechEx Technology Analyst Dr Cherie Wong on Thursday 5th March for the expert-led webinar, "Blue Hydrogen: Technology Innovations, Market Developments, and 10-Year Growth Outlook". Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times in one day.

Batteries are used in data centers as part of uninterruptible power supply systems (UPS) to prevent data loss and to cover critical loads. However, as AI data centers become more prevalent, as does the need to manage the volatility in their power loads. This article from IDTechEx examines emerging battery technology trends for data centers.

Latency, energy, privacy. By shifting AI computation from the cloud to the edge, these issues can be alleviated. 2025 was a breakout year for many AI applications, with consumer electronics leading the way in revenue due to the trend to towards AI smartphones and PCs, and rising costs of chips manufactured on leading process nodes.