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.

Smart homes have started with add-on appliances like Google home, smart fridges, or ring doorbells. These plug-in features are helpful to personalise a house to the needs of the inhabitants but can be clunky, with outlets used up and unsightly wiring across walls and floors. Coming next is built-in technology, ubiquitous throughout the building and, eventually, the neighbourhood.

In the aftermath of COP27, sustainability is once again at the forefront of global discussion. Debates surrounding emissions reductions, water security, and renewable energy are at centre-stage with many politicians, businesses, investors, and think tanks enthusiastic to bring about meaningful change.

According to IDTechEx, on 7th of October 2022, the US announced a series of targeted updates to its export regulations concerning semiconductors and associated technologies in China.

If the future were to be categorised in one word, it would be "data-centric". For decades, IC vendors have designed chips that have all functions integrated on the same die; however, scaling monolithic IC becomes more difficult and costly as the industry sees the slowdown of Moore's law.

IDTechEx announces its report into the market growth of haptic feedback technology and its many areas of research and development.

As electronics are becoming increasingly ubiquitous, there is a clear trend toward greater integration. Rather than simply making space for a rigid 2D circuit board (PCB) within the product, electronic functionality will be either mounted conformally onto surfaces or incorporated within the structural materials.

3D electronics is an emerging manufacturing approach that enables electronics to be integrated within or onto the surface of objects.