Research Articles

Join IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst Mika Takahashi on Thursday 23rd April for the expert-led webinar, "Photonic Integrated Circuits, Driving an Interconnect Revolution". Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times in one day.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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".

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.

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.

Join IDTechEx Technology Analyst Thomas Bithell on Thursday 26th February for this expert webinar, "Waveguide Technologies and Substrate Choices Shaping the Next Generation of AR and AI Smart Glasses".

Electric vehicle (EV) sales continue to grow globally, with passenger cars primarily driving the growth. EV performance is fundamentally tied to EV batteries, at cell- and pack-level. As new EV sectors are unlocked and performance targets are reached, trends in material demand across cell and pack components emerge. This article explores material trends in EV cathodes, anodes and packs that underscore the EV market as a whole.

This article evaluates some of the strengths and weaknesses of reflective and diffractive waveguides used in augmented reality (AR) optics for smart glasses.

Join IDTechEx Technology Analyst Shihao Fu on Thursday 19th February for this expert webinar where we will explore how regulatory clarity, automation, sensor integration, and evolving business models are enabling certain drone applications to scale, while others continue to face structural barriers. Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times in one day.

Grid-scale energy storage (ES) markets are dominated by pumped hydro storage (PHS) and Li-ion battery energy storage systems (BESS). The reducing costs of Li-ion technologies continues to create challenges for other energy and battery storage technologies, such as redox flow batteries (RFBs) to penetrate short-duration grid-scale markets. However, the different demands of emerging applications such as data centers and long duration energy storage could be key for RFB developers to target. This article from IDTechEx examines the future strategies and considerations for flow battery developers and emerging applications.

Join IDTechEx Principal Technology Analyst Conrad Nichols on Tuesday 17th February for this expert webinar "Battery Storage Trends in Data Centers and Commercial & Industrial Applications". Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times during the day.

Missed out on CES this year? Or did you attend but miss the chance to explore the sensor innovations on display? In this article, IDTechEx Principal Technology Analyst Dr Tess Skyrme outlines three important trends for the sensor market evident from our trip to Las Vegas this year.

Join IDTechEx Technology Analyst Noah El Alami on Thursday 12th February for this expert webinar "How Materials Can Enable Commercial Quantum Technologies". Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times during the day.

Green hydrogen has been promised as the clean energy carrier of the future, but recent project delays and cancellations have raised questions about whether it will truly become a cornerstone of the energy transition or turn out to be an overhyped technology that fails to scale. In this article, IDTechEx explores key market trends and regional developments that could shape the future of the green hydrogen market.

Join IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst Pranav Jaswani on Thursday 29th January for this expert webinar "Direct Lithium Extraction: Reshaping Global Lithium Supply Through Efficiency & Sustainability". Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times during the day.

As communication systems move to higher frequencies (e.g. 5G/6G) and data transfers move to higher rates, minimizing transmission losses and maintaining signal integrity become very important. This is where low-loss materials come in. With several different options for low-loss materials available in the market, this article looks at the key properties and factors to consider that guide the selection of materials for high frequency applications.

This article describes the variety of optics required for XR (extended reality) devices. For AR glasses, this includes waveguides and other technologies such as birdbath combiners, whilst for VR headsets, solutions include pancake, Fresnel, and aspheric lenses. Across XR devices, different optics solutions are required based on the intended use case, with a variety of factors contributing to the suitability of an optics technology for a specific device. Factors include weight, optical efficiency, image quality, form factor, and cost.

Join IDTechEx Principal Technology Analyst Dr Yu-Han Chang on Thursday 15th January for the expert-led webinar "CPO (Co-Packaged Optics) Technologies and Market Outlook for Next-Gen AI Systems", offering independent, research-backed insights.

The growth of Li-ion batteries creates surging demand for lithium, but there is an increasing need for extraction methods that are efficient, sustainable, and versatile across different environments and regions. This article highlights how the emergence of direct lithium extraction (DLE) technologies will allow producers to satisfy these needs while scaling up to meet global lithium demand in the coming decade.

The service robotics industry has grown quickly in recent years, spurred on by advances in robotics technology and artificial intelligence (AI), and is set to alleviate labor shortage issues across multiple industries. This IDTechEx article examines the winners in the short and long term in the service robots market.

Global battery energy storage system (BESS) deployments continue to be deployed at a rapid pace, with surging deployments seen especially in grid-scale markets. Giant Li-ion BESS players dominate this market leaving untapped opportunities for smaller players to exploit in commercial and industrial (C&I) sectors, behind-the-meter (BTM). However, operating in this underappreciated market can be complex, given the vast end-use applications and changing regional drivers. This article highlights the emerging demand for C&I BESS technologies.

Solid-state batteries (SSBs) are maturing into early deployment, and with that maturity comes a practical question: what happens at end of life? Recycling is an important starting point for thinking about sustainability and materials security in SSBs, but it is only a small piece of a much larger transition. This article outlines why recycling matters, where it sits in the bigger picture, and how the IDTechEx report "Solid State Batteries 2026-2036: Technology, Forecasts, Players" can guide decisions beyond circularity alone.

Bipolar plates are a key component of PEM fuel cells, providing structural support and carrying out a major role in the power generating electrochemical reaction. This article discusses the materials consideration for plates, which can be made from metal or graphite/graphitic composite.

Drones have transitioned from experimental tools into essential infrastructure across agriculture, logistics, energy, security, and public-sector operations. According to the newly released IDTechEx report "Drones Market 2026-2036: Technologies, Markets, and Opportunities", the global drone market, including consumer, commercial, and defense platforms, is projected to grow from approximately US$69 billion in 2026 to US$147.8 billion by 2036, corresponding to a 7.9% CAGR.

This article highlights the materials opportunities across quantum computing, quantum sensing, and quantum communications, dividing them into three materials platforms: superconducting chips, photonics (including PICs), and nanomaterials.

The rise of the Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) is transforming not only passenger cars but also the commercial vehicle industry, which is reshaping how trucks, vans, and specialty vehicles are designed, operated, and maintained.

IDTechEx forecasts that the global sensor market will reach $250B in annual revenue by 2036, as global mega-trends in AI, future mobility, wearables, edge computing, and automation drive renewed growth opportunities. Next generation sensor technology innovations in quantum sensors, ADAS sensors, image sensors, MEMS, photonic integrated circuits, and printed sensor markets will be key to realizing the highest growth opportunities over the next decade.

Join IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst Dr Shababa Selim for this 30-minute webinar, where she will be sharing insights from the brand-new market report "Low-Loss Materials for 5G/6G, Radar, and High-Speed Digital 2026-2036: Markets, Trends, and Forecasts".