Advanced Materials

Researchers have developed a new method to 3D print mechanisms that detect how force is being applied to an object. The structures are made from a single piece of material, so they can be rapidly prototyped. A designer could use this method to 3D print "interactive input devices," like a joystick, switch, or handheld controller, in one go.

Quantum dots, biomedical applications, energy harvesting and storage, sensing

The MTC (Manufacturing Technology Centre) is established to prove innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in an agile environment in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions. The MTC houses some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment in the world, creating a high quality environment for the development and demonstration of new technologies on an industrial scale. This provides a unique opportunity for manufacturers to develop new and innovative processes and technologies.

Chiyoda Corporation is a Japanese integrated engineering contractor commercializing a patented solid catalyst for using carbon dioxide as a feedstock in steam natural gas reforming. In August 2021, IDTechEx Technology Analyst Dr Hydra Rodrigues spoke to Chiyoda's Business Development Manager, Boqiang Zhao.

5G is paving the way for a fully digitalized and connected world. The past two years have seen many new field trials and an accelerating number of commercial rollouts. Moreover, 5G is starting to be adopted in a wide range of industries, from manufacturing to healthcare.

National Highways will be trialling the use of graphene - a material only one atom thick - in its road surfacing to see if it prolongs its lifespan. If successful, using this high-tech product could see the operational life of key road features extended by a number of  years, reducing the frequency of roadworks and making journeys for road users smoother and more reliable. 

Printed and flexible sensors constitute the largest printed electronics market outside of displays. Indeed, we forecast that the market for fully printed sensors will reach 4.9 billion by 2032.

Concrete is the second most consumed substance on the planet, trailing only potable water. Cement production - an essential ingredient for concrete - alone contributes to 7% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. As the world will see the building stock double in size by 2050, pressure for the cement industry to decarbonize has risen swiftly.

Graphene is sometimes used in metamaterial systems for the familiar reasons such as high conductivity even at high frequency, thinness, integrity and lack of energy loss through harmonics.

Matmerize is a polymer informatics start-up. IDTechEx spoke with Brandon Reznicek (Business Development Manager).

Antennas are the first major success for metamaterials and these can act as sensors

6G Communications promises between ten to one hundred times the download speed for operating unpowered devices, remote holographic surgery and much more, but it will depend on how high a frequency is chosen and how much infrastructure investment is made.

Graphene, hexagonally arranged carbon atoms in a single layer with superior pliability and high conductivity, could advance flexible electronics according to researchers.

Paper on Nanofabrication of Electronics and Sensors Based on Directed Assembly of Nanomaterials by ZhiminChai, Anthony Childress, and Ahmed A. Busnaina

CarbonCure Technologies is a Canadian carbon tech company that incorporates waste carbon dioxide from emissions into fresh concrete to reduce its carbon footprint. In September 2021, IDTechEx Technology Analyst Dr Hydra Rodrigues spoke to Dr Sean Monkman, Senior Vice President of Technology Development at CarbonCure.

This premium article examines the laminar, antenna-like metamaterial that prevents emissions passing through

Innovation roadmap for the report 'Electric Motors for Electric Vehicles 2022-2032'.

Taking in all stages of production, concrete is said to be responsible for 4-8% of the world's CO2.

CarbonFree is a company utilizing carbon dioxide from industrial emissions to produce carbon-negative chemicals, currently focusing on precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC). In August 2021, IDTechEx Technology Analyst Dr Hydra Rodrigues spoke with Martin Keighley, CEO of CarbonFree.

This article explores the history of solid-state batteries and looks ahead at regional development, sharing some of the research from the new IDTechEx report, "Solid-State and Polymer Batteries 2021-2031: Technology, Forecasts, Players".