Research Articles

Ten years ago, the 3D printing landscape was in the midst of its first big boom. With the 2009 expiration of a key Stratasys patent that covered thermoplastic filament extrusion technology, desktop filament printers were taking off, buoyed by new disrupters like Makerbot.

Wednesday 14 February 2024 - Quantum Communication Technology: How Can Physics Protect Our Data Security? What is quantum communication technology and what is the state of the industry? What are the competing quantum random number generator technologies, how do they work and what are the opportunities and challenges? What is quantum key distribution, and how is it being used in quantum networks? How will the quantum communication market evolve both short, medium, and long term - and when are the key inflection points for commercial value creation?

Healthcare systems around the world are being put under increasing strain every year. Key challenges they face include overburdened medical staff and a steady rise in patients with chronic health conditions that require high levels of care.

Smart devices, autonomous driving, remote patient monitoring - countless new applications are being unlocked by advancements in telecommunication technology, specifically the transition to 5G. 5G telecommunications introduces two new frequency bands: sub-6 GHz (3.5 - 7 GHz) and mmWave (24 - 71 GHz).

The electrification of boats and ships has the potential to reshape communities around busy ports. Hybrid and electric ships have the potential to drastically improve air quality and reduce noise pollution while offering other key benefits to cities. Ships now have the potential to become a welcomed part of communities and a friend to the environment.

As the volume of variable renewable energy (VRE) sources penetrating electricity grids increases globally, so does the need to manage the increasing uncertainty and variability in electricity supply.

Ross and Rachel's relationship in the TV series Friends was characterized by its on-again, off-again nature, with the inevitability that they end up together in the end. Tesla started its full self-driving hardware with radar in 2016, it began the break-up with radar in 2021, and radar was removed from production entirely in 2021.

China is set to add 30 million new V2X-enabled vehicles to the road every year by 2034, according to IDTechEx's report, "Connected and Software-Defined Vehicles 2024-2034: Markets, Forecasts, Technologies", as part of a wider global trend that will see V2X technology become the standard in most vehicles.

Artificial Intelligence is transforming the world as we know it; from the success of DeepMind over Go world champion Lee Sedol in 2016 to the robust predictive abilities of OpenAI's ChatGPT, the complexity of AI training algorithms is growing at a startlingly fast pace, where the amount of compute necessary to run newly-developed training algorithms appears to be doubling roughly every four months.

Wednesday 7 February 2024 - Overview of CO2 utilization pathways and products; Discussion of environmental, technical, and economic factors for the most promising CO2U technologies (CO2-enhanced oil recovery, CO2-derived fuels, and CO2-derived building materials); Contextualization of carbon utilization's role within CCUS and global progress towards net-zero

Quantum communications technology seeks to improve data security, which is increasingly compromised in the modern world. The world is generating higher and higher volumes of data, with increasing concerns about its sensitivity.

Thursday 8 February 2024 - Introduction to LDES; why and when LDES technologies will be needed to support growth of VRE penetration; Key countries and states expected to be earlier adopters of LDES technologies; LDES technology overview including funding, energy and power decoupling, introduction to technology benchmarking, and duration of storage of upcoming LDES projects; Overview of grid supply-side and demand-side flexibility; LDES market applications; Key customers that will benefit from LDES technologies; LDES revenue generation opportunities, challenges, and potential solutions; IDTechEx's outlook and conclusions

Demand for Li-ion batteries continues to grow in sectors such as electric vehicles, stationary energy storage, and consumer electronics. From its market report, "Li-ion Battery Recycling Market 2023-2043", IDTechEx estimates that in 2023, total demand for Li-ion batteries was 750+ GWh across these sectors, which will increase to almost 10 TWh in 2043.

IDTechEx have released a brand new episode of the 'Tomorrow's Tech by IDTechEx' podcast, '3D Printing: Hobbyist Pastime or Industrial Evolution'. Host Dr Tess Skyrme and industry expert Sona Dadhania will be discussing the up-and-coming trends in the 3D printing landscape.

Wednesday 31 January 2024 - Vegan Leather: New Bio-based Materials Aiming to Disrupt the Leather Industry - Background on animal and plastic (synthetic) leathers; Market drivers, including consumer, brand and regulatory drivers; An introduction to the emerging technologies including plant-based leather, mycelium leather (mushroom), microbial leather (fermentation) and lab grown leather (cell-culture); The go to market strategy approaches and applications of these materials; IDTechEx's outlook and conclusions

Tuesday 30 January 2024 - An overview of the megatrends changing the automotive industry; Explanation of what hardware/services are associated with each trend; CAGR growth rates for each of these technologies; Hardware vs services, where the biggest opportunity is

IDTechEx predicts that by 2044, utilization of waste CO2 will reach 800 Mt to create over 3,000 Mt of useful products. Revenue generated through carbon dioxide utilization (CO2U) over the next two decades will be vital to enabling the development of commercially viable CO2 capture technologies for the future.

Thursday 1 February 2024 - Identify technical and material trends within the 3D printing market; Highlight key developments influencing AM's rise, including discussion on relevant players and news; Present IDTechEx's outlook on the AM market

Imagine experiencing the colors of a rainforest or the glistening surface of the ocean in the kitchen or hanging the most vibrant photographs on the wall. With Micro LEDs, these things will be possible. Their presence in everyday life through TVs, smartwatches, and transparent displays will improve aesthetics in most living areas.

Electric motors are a core component of electrification in the automotive market. The market has heavily relied on rare earths for the permanent magnets used in these motors, but, as many will be aware, there is a drive to eliminate these rare earths due to their price volatility and environmental impact. Alternative motor technologies can often present a new and increased demand for copper.

The automotive market is a huge industry, and its evolution has spawned several giant corporations with many sub-brands, many of which are household names. However, the automotive industry is arguably undergoing the greatest technological shifts it has ever seen. Electrification, autonomous driving, and a shift to software-defined vehicles.

Thursday 25 January 2024 - Materials for sodium-ion cell design; Sodium-ion battery value proposition; Opportunities and challenges in the sodium-ion battery market; Sodium-ion battery players and commercialisation efforts; IDTechEx outlook for sodium-ion batteries by 2030

The 3D printing industry is by no means new, given the invention of the first 3D printing technologies in the 1980s; yet, in an industry with a long history of twists and turns, 2024 is looking to be the most consequential yet for additive manufacturing. This can be traced back to the shockwaves set off by COVID-19. While the pandemic initially lowered sales for many 3D printer manufacturers, it also created opportunities for additive manufacturing to showcase its unique strengths, as numerous companies looked to reshoring and strengthening their supply chain to avoid persistent disruptions amidst global shipping shortages.

Autonomous driving, electric vehicles, connected and software-defined vehicles, and in-cabin monitoring are all megatrends reshaping the automotive industry. Together, these technologies combine to form a US$1.6 trillion opportunity by 2034, nearly a 10-fold increase compared to 2023.

IDTechEx have launched a new monthly podcast, 'Tomorrow's Tech by IDTechEx', bringing you up to date technology trends. In each episode our host will interview an industry expert from IDTechEx, offering insights into a range of emerging technologies.

Until recently, there have been no serious competing materials for animal and plastic (synthetic) leather. A new generation of bio-based alternatives aims to displace these incumbent materials with plastic-free, sustainable alternatives.

Green hydrogen is increasingly recognized as a clean industrial feedstock and the future's energy carrier. Central to green hydrogen production is the water electrolyzer. Historically, the alkaline water electrolyzer (AWE) has dominated the market due to its maturity and development

Major fleets have committed to transitioning at least 30% of their new heavy-duty truck purchases to be zero-emission vehicles, including electric models, by 2030. However, many companies are daunted by the extra upfront cost of electric trucks, as well as challenges like the limited availability of chargers.

Decarbonization efforts have gained momentum globally in recent years. Renewable energy, electrification, and battery storage are primary solutions. However, some sectors remain difficult to decarbonize using such methods, including heavy industry, heating, and certain transport sectors, such as aviation and shipping.

Sodium-ion (Na-ion) batteries are being developed due to their potential costs, safety, sustainability, and performance characteristics over traditional lithium-ion batteries. These batteries can be made with widely available and inexpensive materials, with sodium being significantly more abundant than lithium.

Semiconductor packaging technologies have evolved from initial 1D PCB levels to the cutting-edge 3D hybrid bonding packaging at the wafer level. This advancement facilitates single-digit micronmeter interconnecting pitches, achieving over 1000 GB/s bandwidth with high energy efficiency.

Wednesday 17 January 2024 - 2.5D advanced semiconductor packaging technologies: current status, existing barriers, future development trend, target markets, player analysis; 3D advanced semiconductor packaging technologies: current status, existing barriers, future development trend, target markets, player analysis; Market outlook for 2.5D and 3D packaging technologies

In 2024, augmented reality headsets are now affordable enough that some average consumers received a pair last Christmas, yet they are unlikely to form the top fashion craze for the year. In 2013, Google Glass was the first commercial AR device to enter the public consciousness.

Connected and Software-Defined vehicles (SDVs) represent a new paradigm for automakers and consumers. Whereas older ICE vehicles were a conglomeration of 70+ Electronic Control units, kilometers of wiring, and many thousands of components, the new era of vehicles can be more centralized, connected, and convenient, bringing benefits to both the consumer and OEM.

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) have made monumental progress in the passenger car market, becoming a standard drivetrain option. The success in cars is also overflowing into other vehicle segments, such as vans, trucks, buses, 2-wheelers, and more. However, despite some key proponents, fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) have had a much tougher time getting to significant adoption.

Thursday 18 January 2024 - This webinar will cover the market progress, opportunities, and future predictions for FCEVs across several vehicle segments, including: Cars; Light commercial vehicles; Trucks; and Buses