Which Is Better for the Environment? In recent years, plastic production has accelerated, with global plastic set production to reach 600 million tonnes by 2030 if production continues at its current rate of growth. Most of this plastic is not biodegradable, with 30-50% of it being produced for single-use applications.

Picture a flexible circuit board (FPCB) and you will almost inevitably visualise a sheet of orange/brown plastic, probably with a few copper traces and maybe some soldered components on it. This plastic is PI (polyimide/Kapton), and its ubiquity is primarily due to its temperature resistance and general durability.

Materials suppliers need to appraise opportunities at all power levels of energy harvesting. Those developing, making and using harvesters providing microwatts to GW need to see the big picture and how they can expand into it.

A recent article by IDTechEx Principal Analyst, James Hayward, written on the need to update e-textiles' traditional mantra which implies that "technology + comfort = success".

In this webinar IDTechEx Chairman, Dr Peter Harrop, describes a large new opportunity for added value materials suppliers. Electronics and electrics are moving from components-in-a-box to user "edit-able" composites, stretchable film and even paint.

5G is considered as one of the largest market opportunities in the coming years, with large scale roll-out of infrastructures and rapid adoption of 5G devices and services. 5G will not only accelerate the growth and expansion of telecom; it will also redefine and accelerate industries such as automotive, entertainment, computing, and manufacturing.

Asked to picture a printed sensor, you might well imagine a paper test strip for measuring blood glucose concentration. After all, such test strips comprise the majority of the printed sensor market, with billions used each year by diabetics around the world. However, this ubiquitous application masks a highly complex, fragmented and in some cases rapidly growing market that spans applications ranging from image sensing to wearable electrodes.

Once every ten years the promising future of a hydrogen economy and fuel cells is announced. Hydrogen over the years has had several periods of hypes, which always blow off as nothing concrete, but why are we still talking about it? And why is there still the belief of a hydrogen economy, when Li-ion batteries are dominating the market?

Materials Informatics is the key to enabling a paradigm shift in our approach to materials science R&D. Significant investment, notable adoption from key end-users, and technology leaps make it evident that it's time has come. Through primary-interview based analysis, IDTechEx has introduced the most comprehensive market report on the topic: "Materials Informatics 2020-2030".

In this webinar, IDTechEx Technology Analyst Daniele Gatti, will provide a complete overview of the hydrogen economy, and technical specifics of fuel cells and electrolysers.

IDTechEx, host of the world's largest event series on Printed & Flexible Electronics, broadcast this virtual event last week featuring Coca-Cola, Swarovski, Electrolux, Neotech AMT, Ynvisible, Roartis and IDTechEx. Watch on-demand.

In this webinar, presented by IDTechEx Principal Analyst Dr Xiaoxi He, will give an introduction of micro-LED displays and things you should know about them. We will talk about 2-3 technologies involved in micro-LED fabrication with more details.

Flexible hybrid electronic (FHE) promises to combine the functionality of conventional rigid electronics with the flexibility of printed electronics. A prototypical FHE circuit, in which an integrated circuit is combined with multiple other elements, includes (for example) printed sensors, an antenna, a thin film battery and even thin film PV. Not all components need to be included, or even printed, for a circuit to count as FHE, but it must include as a minimum both printed and placed functionality.

An important new trend is buying electrics and electronics you customise to function not just shape. See the new IDTechEx report, "Complete Electronics as Smart Material, User-Customized 2020-2040". Builders, textile manufacturers, those doing home improvement and others are starting to buy electrically-smart materials direct from materials companies, bypassing the electronics industry.

Water and wastewater industries and networks are everywhere. They supply homes, businesses and industries. They are one of the most important infrastructures in many countries. Yet they are not monitored as closely as other utilities industries. However, change is coming. There are many new sensors and products available which can provide a greater insight into this large and wide-ranging industry.

Bioplastics, polymers derived from biological feedstocks, are a potential solution to the environmental problems caused by plastic - they are made from renewable resources and often biodegrade. Despite this, bioplastics have historically struggled to compete with fossil-based plastics, which are often far cheaper. But, are things beginning to change?

Join the free virtual conference from IDTechEx covering opportunities with printed electronics on 27 May. Additional speakers include Neotech AMT, Roartis and Ynvisible. Join over 1,000 registered attendees.

MicroLED, believed by many as the next generation display technology, has been pursued by players from LED, display, OEM, materials and so on.

Expect more healthcare wearables that power themselves, many even managing with no battery. The IDTechEx report, "Energy Harvesting for Electronic Devices 2020-2040" covers this and more.

Market and technology insights covering Radar and LIDAR. Progress, capabilities and outlook are discussed in this Q and A session.