With the pandemic still raging, supply chain disruptions, the chip shortage, climate catastrophes, and geopolitical turbulence, it is safe to say 2021 has not been smooth sailing. The materials and chemical sector provides the backbone of every industry and remains under pressure from all these challenges. In this article, IDTechEx highlights the key news from their independent perspective on this crucial industry.

A silicone device that can change skin tissue into blood vessels and nerve cells has advanced from prototype to standardized fabrication, meaning it can now be made in a consistent, reproducible way.

A team researchers has developed an ultra-thin wireless device that grows to the surface of bone and could someday help physicians monitor bone health and healing over long periods. The devices are called osseosurface electronics.

Nano Ops, Inc. is pleased to host its first webinar on December 2, 2021 @ 1:30 eastern since the launch of FLEX RD and FFx RD800, Fab-in-a-Tool series products. Nano OPS is the world's first manufacturer of purely additive manufacturing tools capable of printing nanoscale features, bringing a nanomanufacturing fab in your lab.

Are you fed up with Zoom? Do you want online interactions to feel more... interactive? The metaverse promises a step-change in how society communicates but, without the hardware technology, will ultimately remain a pipe dream.

Engineers have achieved a new benchmark in the design of atomically thin solar cells made of semiconducting perovskites, boosting their efficiency while retaining their ability to stand up to the environment.

The massive new challenges of desertification, rising sea levels, starvation, increasingly violent weather, dysfunctional national governments and the accelerating move to cities can be tackled on a human scale.

Recent advances in medical technology, along with the expansion of 5G technology, have established a new standard for wearable medical devices. Medical professionals and patients alike expect the devices to be both highly effective and able to withstand daily usage. Meeting these criteria is critical to ensuring that a product is safe, usable and practical—and requires thoughtful design and highly reliable components.

Over the past several decades, researchers have moved from using electric currents to manipulating light waves in the near-infrared range for telecommunications applications such as high-speed 5G networks, biosensors on a chip, and driverless cars.

TactoTek, the Finland-based company that develops and licenses Injection Molded Structural Electronics technology, announced that the company has received up to €15 million in financing from the European Guarantee Fund. TactoTek is the first company to receive an EGF investment. TactoTek engaged the Grannenfelt Finance to support investment application and processing.

Imagine your car starting the moment you get in because it recognizes the jacket you're wearing. Consider the value of a hospital gown that continuously measures and transmits a patient's vital signs. These are just two applications made possible by a new "body area network"-enabling fabric invented by engineers.

This premium article from IDTechEx examines technologies and applications around smart roads and smart concrete including self-heating roads, multi-mode outdoor surfaces, light-emitting concrete, illuminated crossings, vehicle charging cement and more.

This article will look at: the main drivers for chemical companies to adopt recycling strategies The funding status Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and criticisms.

2021 has been an exciting year for printed electronics, with multiple applications reaching commercial adoption and significant funds flowing into the sector. Even where technologies are not yet commercialized, companies are increasingly transitioning from developing their technology and producing speculative demonstration prototypes to development and qualification projects for specific customers.

Climate change is one of humanity's most pressing challenges. In an effort to accelerate global action in limiting temperature rises, international lawmakers, business leaders, scientists, and activists convened in Glasgow (U.K.) for the past two weeks in the UN's Climate Change Conference (COP26). In this article, IDTechEx examines three crucial technologies in the fight against climate change that saw advancements (or not) during this COP's proceedings.

Researchers have engineered a portable electronic nose that's almost as sharp as a human nose at sniffing out the stink of wastewater treatment plants. Coupled with a drone, the lightweight e-nose can measure the concentration of different smells, predict odor intensity, and produce a real-time odor map of the plant for management.

The triboelectric effect is a phenomenon where a charge is generated on two dissimilar materials when the materials are moved apart after being in contact with each other. Triboelectric nanogenerators use this effect to convert mechanical motion into electrical energy. The compactness of TENGs allows them to be used as wearable devices that can harness the motion of the body to power electronics.

Presentation on Sustainable and Scalable Manufacturing of Microelectronics Using Directed Assembly of Nanomaterials, given as a Keynote at TechConnect 2021 by Ahmed Busnaina, W. L. Smith Professor, Distinguished University Professor and Director of The Advanced Nanomanufacturing Cluster for Smart Sensors and Materials and the NSF Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center for High-rate Nanomanufacturing Northeastern University, Boston, USA.

Researchers have invented bubble casting, a new way to make soft robots using "fancy balloons" that change shape in predictable ways when inflated with air.