Research Articles

In automotive power electronics (inverters, onboard chargers, DC-DC converters), the transition to silicon carbide MOSFETs and high voltage systems above 800V has been increasing in pace in 2021.

IDTechEx, a leading provider of market intelligence on technology innovation, offer clients a subscription option focused on Future Mobility as part of their market intelligence subscription services, including over 10,000 original analyst-created slides, more than 100 forecast lines across 50+ mobility markets, over 200 company based profiles based on primary research, and much more.

With the pandemic still raging, supply chain disruptions, the chip shortage, climate catastrophes, and geopolitical turbulence, it is safe to say 2021 has not been smooth sailing. The materials and chemical sector provides the backbone of every industry and remains under pressure from all these challenges. In this article, IDTechEx highlights the key news from their independent perspective on this crucial industry.

Having covered this industry for the past decade, IDTechEx has developed an extensive database of historic and current market data. In this article IDTechEx will do something that is relatively unusual for a market research company to do: publicly compare old forecasts with what actually happened.

In the past, the lack of end-of-life batteries meant that the Li-ion (lithium-ion) recycling market had little opportunity to prosper but the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) is changing this.

Wednesday 1 December 2021 - A market update on electric vehicles; Technology trends to watch out for in electric vehicle powertrains (electric motors, power electronics, cell-to-pack); The levelling up of autonomous vehicles; Opportunities for fuel cell electric vehicles.

5G is recognized as an important infrastructure for both developed and developing countries. By the end of 2021, 79 nations have either commercialized 5G or are conducting 5G trials. Though 5G is commercialized, there are still a lot of technical developments going on. In this article, IDTechEx discuss the 4 major areas of development/trends.

Are you fed up with Zoom? Do you want online interactions to feel more... interactive? The metaverse promises a step-change in how society communicates but, without the hardware technology, will ultimately remain a pipe dream.

The massive new challenges of desertification, rising sea levels, starvation, increasingly violent weather, dysfunctional national governments and the accelerating move to cities can be tackled on a human scale.

Energy storage technologies are undergoing a challenging transformation, vital in an emerging climate that increasingly necessitates renewable energies and recyclable hardware. Covering a wide portfolio of energy storage technologies, their history, and their outlook for the future, IDTechEx looks at how the energy storage sector has fared over the past year, and where it is headed for the next.

Despite the roaring success of EVs, adequate charging infrastructure is lagging behind. It is a classic chicken-versus-egg scenario: do public charging stations help drive EV adoption, or does greater EV adoption demand a more comprehensive public charging infrastructure?

2021 has been an exciting year for printed electronics, with multiple applications reaching commercial adoption and significant funds flowing into the sector. Even where technologies are not yet commercialized, companies are increasingly transitioning from developing their technology and producing speculative demonstration prototypes to development and qualification projects for specific customers.

Climate change is one of humanity's most pressing challenges. In an effort to accelerate global action in limiting temperature rises, international lawmakers, business leaders, scientists, and activists convened in Glasgow (U.K.) for the past two weeks in the UN's Climate Change Conference (COP26). In this article, IDTechEx examines three crucial technologies in the fight against climate change that saw advancements (or not) during this COP's proceedings.

Thursday 18 November 2021 - Can Technology Innovation Awaken a Sleeping Giant? This webinar includes a summary of the key issues facing global agriculture; emerging applications of agricultural robotics; an overview of some of the key developments in the field; and much more.

In this article, IDTechEx analysts take a look back at the key events and trends from the future mobility world over the past year - and what to look out for in 2022.

Tuesday 16 November 2021 - An Array of Choices for Battery and Energy Storage Technology. Pros and cons of solid-state batteries compared with conventional lithium-ion batteries, the current market status, future trends, and pack design consideration; Special form factor enabled by solid-state batteries; and much more.

Wednesday 17 November 2021 - Over the last year, we've seen an increasing number of 5G consumer network rollouts and field testing around the world. This webinar discusses an overview of 5G development; 5G commercial deployment; an overview of 5G application; and much more.

Tuesday 30 November 2021 - The focus is recent progress and what to expect in 2022. Learn the basics such as the dead ends, opportunities, and emerging market demands; See the eleven families of appropriate technology appraised and compared including possibilities for combinations; and much more.

The new need for massive amounts of delayed electricity will provide major new business for the mining and cement industries while helping them to clean up their act and generate new earning streams.

All major players in the automotive industry are racing to develop and deploy zero-emission vehicles: a tumultuous change in powertrain technology is underway. The new report from IDTechEx, "Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles 2022-2042", analyzes the role of fuel cells in on-road vehicles.

Will the capacitive human-machine interface (HMI) components of the future be produced using IME, or will the simpler currently utilized manufacturing methodologies persist?

Friday 12 November 2021 - covering recent progress with smart cities and what is likely to happen in 2022. It deals with both new cities and existing ones that are radically modernising. Learn how the objectives are now far more ambitious

Thursday 11 November 2021 - The latest commercial developments in the field; Assessment of the different strategic approaches being adopted; The key technology pillars required for a MI approach; Industry pain points; and Application case studies

5G has two new frequency bands: sub-6 GHz (3.5 - 7 GHz) and mmWave (>24 GHz). 5G sub-6 GHz, with a frequency relatively close to the 4G frequency range, does not receive as much attention as the other new frequency band - mmWave. Even though there has been a lot of buzz surrounding mmWave, has this technology been extensively adopted? What are the pain points in the mmWave industry? What are its prospects for the future?

Recently, ceramic 3D printer and material manufacturer Tethon 3D announced a partnership with composite 3D printing start-up Fortify to develop more technical ceramic materials for 3D printing. By increasing the portfolio of advanced ceramics available for 3D printing, the two companies aim to advance the adoption of ceramic 3D printing in technical applications.

When talking about the electric vehicle (EV) market, a great amount of emphasis is put on the battery cells - and rightly so. They govern the total storage capacity, impact energy density, and are a critical supply chain consideration when scaling up to meet the growing EV demand. However, EVs present a great range of opportunities outside of the battery cells.

Thursday 4 November 2021 - $160 Billion Market by 2042. Includes what makes fuel cells an attractive technology pathway; overview of FCEV deployment in passenger cars, LCV, trucks, and buses; challenges facing FCEV deployment; and an overview of IDTechEx's independent 20-year forecasts for FCEV

Digital transformation is the buzzword in every sector; materials science and chemistry R&D is behind the curve but certainly no exception. The prospects are, of course, very attractive, but the reality far, far harder. This article looks at the status of this transformation, the enabling solutions, and those unresolved pain points.

EVs certainly mark the path to a more environmentally friendly future, but there are still concerns around the sourcing of certain components or materials within EVs. Electric motors literally drive EVs but rely heavily on rare-earth materials. Will EV manufacturers continue to rely so heavily on rare earths going into the future?

Wednesday 3 November 2021 - Prospects for All Sensors and Preparation for Sensor-Centric 6G Communications in 2022. This webinar reveals progress in 2021 and prospects for 2022, and much more! Register your place on of the three sessions.

With global warming kicking in and rising sea levels displacing millions to arid regions, there needs to be much more cooling of buildings. Two new passive options need to be welcomed that use readily available, non-toxic substances - metamaterials and unprecedentedly white paint reflecting maximum sunlight away from a building.

Wednesday 10 November 2021 - The accelerating transition of printed/flexible electronics from technology push to market pull; Applications of printed/flexible electronic technologies that have been commercialized over the last 12 months; Roadmap for future adoption; A selection of both technical and commercial developments within the sector over the last year.

Tuesday 2 November 2021 - A Summary of Key Market Data and Trends. This webinar will cover major trends in each sector of wearable technology, presenting data about the current state of the market as well as a general outlook for each sector

Cultured meat has come a long way since 2013. What was once a concept from the realms of science fiction, made in tiny quantities in research labs for astronomical costs has now become an emerging industry, with start-ups across the world racing to become the first to successfully produce cultured meat on a commercial scale.

Over the past decade, wearables have progressed from a niche curiosity on the fringes of the consumer electronics sector, to being a key strategic element for many of the largest technology companies in the world. The total market for wearable technology products has doubled in annual revenue since 2015, generating nearly $80bn in revenue in 2020. However, with momentum, product trends, and focuses shifting all the time, it is important to stay ahead of the competition and consider the trends which will drive the sector over the coming years and decades.

Thursday 28 October 2021 - Overview of current and future electric motor technologies from OEMs; Emerging motor technologies such as axial flux and in-wheel motors; A look at electric motors in cars, vans, trucks, two-wheelers and buses; and more.