Can electronics be additively manufactured and flexible without compromising on the capabilities of conventionally produced integrated circuits (ICs)?

How far is printed/flexible electronics along the road to widespread adoption? The emerging manufacturing methodology, which replaces etched copper laminate with printed conductive inks on flexible substrates, offers multiple benefits, including flexibility/stretchability, the potential for low-cost roll-to-roll production, digital manufacturing/rapid prototyping, and improved sustainability.

In a recently published article, AI, and Security: Ensuring That Opportunities Outweigh the Threats, IDTechEx discussed the importance of ownership and culpability when it comes to deploying AI tools, especially in the context of creative works.

What do electronic skin patches, thin-film flexible photovoltaics and automotive interior consoles have in common?

Artificial Intelligence has come a long way since the success of DeepMind over Go world champion Lee Sedol in 2016; the world is beginning to change according to the new possibilities afforded by AI.

Smooth, functional surfaces that provide touch sensing, often with backlighting, are becoming increasingly common.

Asia accounts for more than 90% of all global two-wheeler sales, and it is unusual for a family not to own one in some countries.

Asked whether electronics is a ‘digital technology’, almost everyone would reply in the affirmative. However, while printed circuit boards (PCBs) enable digital technologies, the manufacturing processes used to produce them are still largely analogue.

Integrating multiple functionalities within a single entity promises simpler, more efficient devices without compromising capability. Smartphones are a great example, with maps, diaries, phones, cameras, games consoles, and more integrated into a single, compact device.

At Tesla’s Investor Day in March 2023, it announced that its next generation of electric motors would contain no rare earth materials. Given Tesla’s huge presence in the EV (electric vehicle) market, this could prove a significant transition for the design and sustainability of electric motors.

The demand for electric vehicle (EV) power electronics will increase dramatically in the next 10 years, primarily driven by rapid growth in the BEV car market, where IDTechEx predicts a 15% CAGR globally over the next decade.

Surfaces, be they in kitchen appliances, automotive interiors, medical devices, or even furniture, are becoming increasingly smart.

Australia is at the forefront of great battery energy storage system (BESS) development, with front-of-the-meter (FTM) installations expected to continue growing rapidly in the coming decade while supplemented by steady behind-the-meter (BTM) installations. IDTechEx estimates a CAGR for an annual installed capacity of 42% for 2023 – 2033. The Victorian Big Battery, installed in 2021, is one of the largest battery systems to be installed glo...

Enhancing ‘sustainability’ is a widely held aspiration within the electronics industry – realising this transition is considerably more difficult, IDTechEx explores.

The energy crisis and decarbonisation requirements speed up the process of finding alternative solutions, and energy storage plays an important role in applications such as electric vehicle applications and renewable energy.

Can electronics manufacturing be reconfigured for our digital, environmentally conscious age? IDTechEx’s new report, ‘Manufacturing Printed Electronics 2023-2033’, explores a wide range of manufacturing innovations that will enable additive, digital, and higher throughput electronics production across many length scales.

A new wave of electronics manufacturing is on the horizon, aiming to satisfy the increasing demand for sustainability and mitigate the impact of volatile energy prices.

How can advanced functional materials such as conductive inks be developed more quickly?

A new wave of electronics manufacturing is on the horizon, driven forward by volatile energy prices and increasing demand for sustainability.

With applications ranging from energy harvesting to sensing, and applicability to sectors being as varied as healthcare and automotive, printed/flexible electronics are set to change our expectations of what electronics can provide and where they can be utilised.