Manufacturers rely on rare earth elements, like neodymium, to create strong magnets used in motors for electronics including hybrid cars, aircraft generators, loudspeakers, hard drives and in-ear headphones. But mineral deposits containing neodymium are hard to reach and are found in just a few places on Earth.

Thursday 9 December 2021 - Assessment of the key mergers and acquisitions; Important funding rounds across; Notable partnerships; Establishment and expansion of production facilities; Role in key application areas including electronic devices, energy storage and 3D printing; Progression in various fields of green technology

Researchers are reporting a potential breakthrough that could help speed commercialization of highly promising perovskite solar cells for use in solar panels.

Within this year of recovery, IDTechEx has noted the development and/or continuation of micro-trends within each major 3D printing subspecialty: polymer, ceramic, composite, and metal additive manufacturing. In this article, IDTechEx identifies and explains the micro-trends for each material specialty that are worth keeping an eye on going into 2022.

Wearable sensor can detect multiple chronic wound biomarkers to facilitate timely and personalised wound management.

Wednesday 8 December 2021 - How has COVID-19 affected the 3D printing industry? Is the industry already on the path to recovery, or is the pandemic a major setback to AM's progress? What do the IPOs, mergers, acquisitions, and SPAC-offerings mean for the future of 3D printing? and more.

A consortium has launched a study on new, floating flexible solar energy systems. The system, consisting of flexible floating units with flexible solar panels mounted on them, has been installed over recent days close to Rotterdam. The pilot, which will run until summer 2022, is the first step in the creation of economically viable offshore photovoltaic systems.

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.