Research Articles

The chemical sector alone is responsible for 2% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions, and the industry depends heavily on finite fossil fuel feedstocks. The new IDTechEx report, "Carbon Dioxide Utilization 2024-2044: Technologies, Market Forecasts, and Players", explores how captured CO2 could be utilized as a feedstock for hundreds of different chemicals instead.

After years of hype, the 3D printing industry has moved onto a more critical examination of the value-add that effective additive manufacturing adoption brings to businesses and supply chains. In a recent episode on 3D printing, the technology innovation podcast 'Tomorrow's Tech by IDTechEx' explored the history and benefits of this versatile technology, which has existed for over 30 years yet is still finding new applications and end-users in many major sectors.

When it comes to transport, safety is of the utmost importance, and due to the exponentially increasing demand in the electric vehicle market, the awareness of thermal runaway and potential fires from batteries is increasing simultaneously. IDTechEx's report "Fire Protection Materials for EV Batteries 2024-2034: Markets, Trends, and Forecasts" explores different battery technologies and fire-resistant materials as emerging options for dealing with the risks.

The ability to generate random numbers is essential to encrypting data. However, any classical method of producing randomness will fundamentally be deterministic - and theoretically predictable. This creates an opportunity for non-deterministic, high entropy quantum random number generators (QRNGs). In this article, IDTechEx explores the opportunities and challenges for QRNG in the growing connected devices and quantum communications markets.

IDTechEx have released a brand new episode of the 'Tomorrow's Tech by IDTechEx' podcast, 'Battery Technology: What's The Next Big Breakthrough?'. Host Dr Tess Skyrme and industry expert Dr Alex Holland will be discussing the up-and-coming trends in the upcoming battery landscape.

With ~90% of industrial heating processes using fossil fuels, this has led to approximately 25% of global energy pollution coming from heat produced for industrial processes. As such, demand for technologies to decarbonize industrial heating is expected to increase. One such technology that is able to store and supply heat to industrial processes is thermal energy storage (TES). TES for industrial applications currently only forms a minor percentage of global TES capacity, given that TES systems have been widely deployed in applications such as pairing with concentrated solar power (CSP) plants, district heating, cold chain, and space heating for buildings.

Wednesday 1 May 2024 - Unlocking the Skies: The Promise of eVTOLs and Urban Air Mobility - Introduction to urban air mobility and air taxi services; The different eVTOL aircraft design architectures; Key enabling technologies: batteries / motors / charging infra / composite materials; Market landscape and ongoing projects; Overview of IDTechEx's 20-year outlook for the eVTOL market

As autonomous driving continues to revolutionize the automotive industry, sensor technologies have undergone unprecedented advancements. One innovation standing out is Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar). Utilizing laser light to measure distances and create precise 3D maps of surroundings, Lidar has emerged as a game-changer in perception capabilities, especially for the automotive industry.

Wednesday 17 April 2024 - An overview of key mining vehicles; Advantages and barriers to electrification; Overview and developments of the electric haul truck market; Analysis of electric haul truck costs and potential savings; IDTechEx's outlook and conclusions

Materials informatics applies data-driven strategies to materials R&D. Long before generative AI technology reached peak hype, it had a long history of success in this field. A common approach is to use machine learning models trained on databases of material structures and properties, which then capture the underlying structure-property relationship.

Wednesday 24 April 2024 - What is quantum computing, and what is the state of the industry? How has the industry changed in the last 12 months? How do scalability challenges vary between quantum computing modalities? Which trends can be expected in the quantum computing market in 2024 and beyond? When are some key inflection points anticipated for commercial value creation?

IDTechEx Research announces the availability of a new global market report, "Advanced Li-ion Battery Technologies 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Forecasts".

Electric vehicles are no longer a niche oddity but fully mainstream, with many automotive manufacturers announcing targets to phase out ICE construction in favor of BEVs (battery electric vehicles). Passenger cars are not the only sectors where electrification is taking off. Medium and heavy-duty haulage, construction, agriculture, and mining are all under pressure to reduce transport-related greenhouse gas emissions (GHG), and going electric is an increasingly attractive solution.

IDTechEx Research, a trusted provider of independent market intelligence, announces the availability of a new global Thermal Management for EV Power Electronics market report, "Thermal Management for EV Power Electronics 2024-2034: Forecasts, Technologies, Markets, and Trends".

Plant feedstocks are the biggest focus of companies entering the emerging alternative leather market. Companies are utilizing a very diverse selection of input feedstocks, including bamboo, grapes, apple skin, cactus, and pineapple leaves. Additionally, there are several different approaches to the incorporation of plant-based materials and the general manufacturing process.

Thursday 18 April 2024 - LiDAR's significance in vehicle autonomy; Introduction to LiDAR working principles; Examination of lidar technology choices and combinations; Shifts in LiDAR technology trend; Factors influencing current LiDAR adoption

Antenna-in-package (AiP) technology is essential for high-frequency telecommunications, as it enables the integration of antennas with RF components directly into semiconductor packages, unlike traditional discrete antennas. This advancement, tailored for mmWave applications and potentially extending into the sub-THz spectrum for 6G, promises much smaller footprints and enhanced performance.

Flying cars are very easy to hype. Most images of the future almost always include mass mobility in the air. It is one of the staples of any depiction of advanced modern societies and a trope of almost every science fiction movie or book (however dystopian). It is an exciting time where the level of technological advancement is reaching the stage of making electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft a feasible reality.

IDTechEx announces the availability of a new report, "Thermal Energy Storage 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Markets, and Forecasts". This report provides market overviews and data analysis for the industrial TES market, including value chain, strategic partnerships, funding, material suppliers, business models, key player activity, planned projects, and manufacturing developments.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are a primary method to reach a net zero transportation sector, but in addition to CO2 emissions, overall sustainability is becoming an increased focus point. However, sustainability is a very complex topic that does not tend to deal with absolutes as many factors are involved.

The semiconductor industry continually pushes packaging technology boundaries to meet the demand for higher chip performance and efficiency. Bandwidth is one of the critical factors defining the amount of data transmitted between dies on a package.

In the face of escalating global plastic pollution, enzymatic recycling has emerged as an innovative approach, capturing media attention by offering a novel solution to one of the most pressing environmental issues of our time.

IDTechEx announces the availability of a new report, "Air Taxis: Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) Aircraft 2024-2044: Technologies, Players". This report is intended to help companies understand the exciting emerging urban air mobility (UAM) market.

The mining industry has always been perceived as a high-emitting and resource-heavy industry - one that contributes 2-3% of all global CO2 emissions. However, within the last few years, the industry has followed the path of other vehicle sectors and embraced electrification. The use of EVs in global mining is on the rise and could be set to change attitudes towards the industry at large.

Thursday 4 April 2024 - Navigating the Future: Evolution and Opportunities in Automotive Heads-Up Display (HUD) Technology - Classification of HUDs Requirements for HUDs; Overview of PGU technology choices; Future trend of AR HUDs and their value propositions; Opportunities for suppliers in the HUD development value chain

"Forever chemicals", or PFAS, are coming under increasing regulatory pressure globally as concerns over the negative effects of PFAS on human health and the environment are mounting. In their brand new report, "Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) 2024: Emerging Applications, Alternatives, Regulations", IDTechEx dives deeply to explore the future trajectory of PFAS in five key emerging applications: thermal management for data centers, sustainable food packaging, electric vehicles, low-loss materials for 5G, and the hydrogen economy.

Thursday 11 April 2024 - An overview of key printed and flexible sensor technologies and printed sensor material requirements? A critical evaluation of historic printed sensor market successes and shortcomings? Evolving and emerging trends and commercial use cases of printed and flexible sensors? Market opportunities and market forecast overview?

In-cabin monitoring, comprising both Driver Monitoring System (DMS) and Occupancy Monitoring System (OMS), has experienced significant growth since the start of 2024. Traditionally, DMS relies on 2D infrared cameras, while OMS utilizes 3D sensing modules like 3D time-of-flight (ToF) cameras or radar modules.

The electric vehicle (EV) market experienced another exciting year of growth in 2023. Following a 62% increase in electric car sales in 2022 compared to 2021, IDTechEx predicts a 16% increase in global sales for 2023. However, growth was somewhat constrained during the year due to the performance of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) in Europe, particularly in the first half of 2023, partly attributed to subsidy reductions in Germany. Nevertheless, many agree that EVs represent the future of the automotive industry, particularly for passenger cars.

In March, the printed electronics industry flocked to Munich once again for the LOPEC 2024 conference and exhibition. Featured were some of the latest printed electronics technologies addressing global mega-trends such as vehicle electrification, healthcare personalization, industry 4.0, and sustainability.

Thursday 28 March 2024 - Technology & Market Developments for Electrolyzers in Green Hydrogen Production - Introduction to the hydrogen economy and green hydrogen production; Overview of the incumbent electrolyzer technologies; Current state of electrolyzer manufacturing and market; Key innovations needed in electrolyzer technology & overview of novel technologies; Electrolyzer market growth drivers and market outlook

Bipolar plates are crucial components in proton exchange fuel cells, representing a substantial portion of the value of the fuel cell stack. IDTechEx predicts that their market value will surpass US$2.5 billion by 2034. The choice between metal and graphite materials for bipolar plates is a significant consideration, with each option having distinct advantages depending on the specific application.

Quantum computing is pitched as enabling exponentially faster drug discovery, battery chemistry development, multi-variable logistics, vehicle autonomy, accurate asset pricing, and much more. In the last decade, the number of companies actively developing quantum computer hardware has quadrupled. Between 2022 and 2024, multiple funding rounds within the quantum computing market surpassed US$100 million were closed, and the transition from lab-based toys to commercial product began.

Is the emphasis on road safety accelerating the use of heads-up displays in the automotive sector? With distracted driving accounting for 25% of all road accidents and young drivers accounting for the largest demographic using technology while driving, it is imperative to look for solutions to this problem.

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. Long duration energy storage (LDES) technologies will be needed in key regions from the 2030s to support electricity grids with greater penetrations of VRE.

Sensors are vital in modern life. They measure a vast quantity of metrics and parameters, acting as the interface between the physical and digital worlds. Printed sensors can be produced in large areas on flexible substrates, reducing costs and unlocking new market opportunities. The new IDTechEx report, "Printed and Flexible Sensors 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Markets", breaks down key trends by technology approach - highlighting both opportunities and challenges for the industry forecast to reach US$960 million by 2034.