Research Articles

Creating a circular economy is an essential sustainability target for governments, brands, materials suppliers, and the public. Key to pushing these sustainability efforts, which range from sustainability roadmaps developed by chemical and material companies to sustainable material usage targets adopted by brands, is the danger that growing global plastic consumption poses to the environment.

Tuesday 28 November - What is the state of the quantum technology market in 2023? Quantum Computing: Benchmarking friends and foes; Quantum Sensing: Sensitivity vs. SWAP-C; Quantum Communications: Trading on trust

In a world increasingly driven by the demand for stunning visual experiences, Micro-LED displays have emerged as a disruptive technology, promising to redefine how people perceive and interact with the world through screens.

The announcement claimed by Toyota that it had a "technological breakthrough" to resolve durability issues and "a solution for materials" for a solid-state battery (SSB) powering EVs in July 2023 has triggered another wave of interest in SSBs, in addition to the continuous efforts from companies such as BMW, CATL, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, LG, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Panasonic, Samsung, Volkswagen, etc.

Redox flow battery (RFB) installations are expected to increase over the next decade as demand for stationary energy storage technologies is expected to increase. This is due to potential Li-ion material supply shortages coming toward the end of the decade and increasing variable renewable energy (VRE) sources penetrating electricity grids, creating greater variability and uncertainty in energy supply.

The use of image sensors is set to revolutionize multiple industries from advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS)/autonomous driving to agriculture, industrial inspections, and medical imaging. The visualization of images beyond the visible light spectrum and the traditional red, green, and blue (RGB) is gaining traction and is set to impact the future of sensors in many more applications.

Wednesday 22 November 2023 - The current Li-ion battery landscape and recent developments in recycling and end-of-life management; Alternative battery technologies, such as solid-state (SSB), sodium-ion (Na-ion), and redox flow batteries (RFBs), amongst others; Hydrogen's evolving role as a feedstock, fuel and energy carrier and its latest technological and market developments

In the color spectrum of biotechnology, white biotechnology stands out as the industrial production and processing of chemicals, materials, and energy via cell factories like bacteria and yeast. In the bioeconomy, in which society uses renewable biological resources to create biobased products, white biotechnology acts as a critical technology driver. It not only reduces society's dependence on fossil fuels but also consumes less energy, generates minimal waste, and produces more environmentally friendly products.

Thursday 16 November 2023 - The current deployment of SAE level 3 technologies on the road; The next steps in the development of level 3 technologies; How autonomous vehicles can contribute to improved safety; How connected technologies are the end game for automotive safety; What connected features are already being used in cars; What an SDV is and how it links to connectivity, autonomy and more

The automotive sector is rapidly electrifying, with electric car sales totaling over 5.8 million units in the first half of 2023 across China, Europe, and the US. While automotive electrification is at the forefront of the public eye, other vehicle sectors also present huge opportunities, with IDTechEx predicting the global market of electric vehicles for land, sea, and air to be worth over US$1 trillion in 2044 (excl. automotive).

Virtual and Augmented Reality (VR and AR) headsets share, on the surface, 90% of the same component parts. However, two key technologies separate the former product category, which has sold in the millions on the consumer mass market, from the latter, which is yet to crack the mainstream market. Near-eye optics form one part of the puzzle, but display systems offer an equal challenge.

Tuesday 14 November 2023 - Mobile Robotics: Emerging applications, challenges, innovative solutions, and the latest market developments; Service Robots - different applications experience different growth rate; Collaborative Robots - technologies and industrial news; Sensors for Robotics: An analysis of key sensors

In recent years, there has been significant interest in the use of low-cost gas sensors affixed to lampposts, trees, and traffic lights within smart cities to monitor outdoor air quality. Yet before this industry has really taken off, there are already signs of a trend away from the adoption of expansive sensor networks towards mobile platforms.

Ensuring that sensitive electronic components are not adversely affected by radiated electromagnetic interference (EMI) is an essential part of circuit design. Where compactness and close component proximity are a priority, such as in smartphones and smartwatches, conventional board-level shielding with metallic enclosures is increasingly being replaced with conformal package-level shielding.

Friday 10 November 2023 - Summary of 5G Progress: An overview of 5G commercial advancements in the past year, along with future growth prospects; 6G Tech Trends: Insights into the key technology trends in 6G development, identification of key contributors, and the overarching goals; 6G Networks Enablers: Understanding how non-terrestrial network and a smart electromagnetic (EM) environment through technologies like smart skins, repeaters, and reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS) can contribute to 6G network deployment; Applications in 5G and Future 6G: Examination of the current state of 5G adoption across industries and a glimpse into the potential applications that 6G will address in the future.

Wednesday 15 November 2023 - Electric vehicles: Battery strategies; Battery thermal interface materials; Direct oil cooling electric motors; Power electronics and adoption of wide bandgap semiconductors; Fire protection materials. Data centers: Increasing design power; Liquid cooling thermal management strategies; Industrial collaborations and opportunities for players

When picturing a robot, an intimidating human-like figure might come to mind, but what if they could help businesses gain maximum benefit from their unmatched efficiency and power? Service robots are technological marvels proving to possess the enhanced capabilities of human labor, with fantastic flexibility and unmatched power, while always looking smart.

Tunneling magneto resistance sensors are rapidly disrupting the automotive and wearables industry. These tiny sensors leverage quantum phenomena to provide a performance edge over classical incumbents, including industry mainstays such as Hall effect sensors. Although they don't depend on the more exciting effects such as superposition and entanglement, in this article, IDTechEx highlights the lessons to be learned from the success of TMR sensors in the emerging quantum sensor market.

Thursday 2 November 2023 - The emerging demands on radar from developing autonomous vehicle technologies; What a 4D imaging radar is and why it is needed; What routes are available to create 4D imaging radar; How radar technologies and implementations are diverging; Who the leading suppliers in 4D imaging radar are

Wednesday 1 November 2023 - The state of the wearables market in 2023; Assessing the value proposition of combining AI with wearable data; Case studies across multiple form-factors - Smart watches - could AI unlock advanced medical monitoring applications?; Skin patches - is AI software the key to unlocking the consumer market for continuous glucose monitors?; Brain computer interfaces - will AI gift earphones with mind-reading powers? Outlook for the future: hype vs. reality

Graphene has long been seen as a "wonder material" and a solution to many of the world's challenges. The reality is very different as, unsurprisingly, the hype did not immediately translate into commercial success.

Friday 3 November 2023 - Analyze financial activity in 2023 within the AM industry; Identify AM industry trends and challenges from 2023 and predict future 2024 industry moves; Present IDTechEx's 2024 takeaways for the 3D Printing market

Quantum dots (QDs) could potentially be targeting the huge consumer electronics application via its adoption in image sensors, apart from existing industrial applications. IDTechEx has published its view on the global quantum dot markets and enabling technologies in their report "Quantum Dot Materials and Technologies 2024-2034: Trends, Markets, Applications".

A complimentary magazine by IDTechEx providing insights and outlook to 2034 for key technologies.

In the realm of automation, where innovation meets industry, a groundbreaking revolution is sweeping through the landscape of automated guided vehicles (AGVs). Traditionally confined indoors for tasks like intralogistics and material handling, AGVs are breaking free into the great outdoors, driven by advancements in navigation technologies and the emergence of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs).

The rise in vehicle autonomy is expected to bring revolutionary technology to the automotive display sector. It will bring a shift in focus from OEMs, enhancing passenger entertainment on-board and increasing the number of displays capable of delivering a more immersive experience via augmented reality (AR).

Wednesday 25 October 2023 - Air Quality Monitoring Technology: Comparing the Opportunities in Smart Cities, Smart Buildings, and Smart Homes - What are the latest innovations in miniaturized gas sensor technology? What is the state of the market for air quality monitoring? Why is adoption into 'smart-cities' still niche? How do opportunities compare between smart-building and smart-home?

In the ever-evolving energy storage landscape, the advent of solid-state batteries (SSBs) is leading to a new era of possibilities. As the demand for higher performance and safer energy storage solutions grows, SSBs have emerged as a frontrunner in the race for next-generation battery technology.

Thursday 26 October 2023 - Visualizing Beyond the Visible Spectrum: Assessing the Future of Image. Vision beyond visible light spectrum - expanding visualization of electromagnetic spectrum; Growing interest in SWIR imaging and key technologies targeting this space; Challenges facing this sector and opportunities for market entrants; Applications benefitting from SWIR growth from autonomous vehicles to agriculture; Emergence of event-based vision and miniaturized spectrometry

Flying cars might not yet be mainstream, but as developments in the electric and autonomous vehicle industries are making progress globally, the future of driving is set to look very different.

Radars are already cemented into the automotive market as they provide popular ADAS features such as adaptive cruise control (ACC) and blind spot detection (BSD). Despite their near ubiquitous presence in vehicles, IDTechEx's new report "Automotive Radar 2024-2044: Forecast, Technologies, Applications" finds that there is still large growth potential for this sensor, mostly driven by new opportunities for short-range radars.

If biotechnology was a color spectrum, where different colors correspond to different application areas (i.e. medicine, agriculture, etc.), then what is white biotechnology? White biotechnology is the industrial production and processing of chemicals, materials, and energy using micro-organisms like bacteria and yeast.

A new high-power charging solution is required to meet the market need of the truck and bus industry to charge electric heavy-duty vehicles in an acceptable amount of time. As a result, the Megawatt Charging System (MCS), a charging system for large battery electric vehicles, is now being developed.

IDTechEx's new report "Autonomous Cars, Robotaxis and Sensors 2024-2044" shows that autonomous cars are slowly, but very surely, becoming a part of everyday life. Although they have been hyped and overpromised for a long time, in the last couple of years, the industry has accomplished some significant milestones. The US and China both now have a handful of cities allowing commercial robotaxi services from industry leaders such as Cruise, Waymo, Baidu, AutoX, and more.

For thousands of years, people have relied on and continue to rely on their vision to assess their surroundings. They evaluate objects and apply pre-conceived hypotheses based on what they see, and they do this daily.

Tuesday 7 November 2023 - Electrification in Cars and Beyond: What's Happened and What to Expect - The automotive market - key technology trends and technology companies becoming involved in electric cars; Electric and fuel cell trucks; Air taxis (eVTOL); An overview of electrification across vans, trucks, buses, 2-wheelers, 3-wheelers, microcars, construction vehicles, trains, boats, and ships