As more and more companies are gearing up and demonstrating flexible display prototypes the need for protection of these new devices that are freed from the constraints of conventional rigid form factors is highlighted once more.

LCD panel makers in Taiwan, Japan and Korea have been suffering. Despite the growing demand for LCDs the high number of panel makers and new competition from China has resulted in tough price competition for panel makers, to the point that many panel makers are no longer profitable.

On April 17-18, the Printed Electronics Europe conference and exhibition in Berlin, Germany, will feature "Manufacturing Street" - a live, multi-technology, printed electronics demonstration.

More and more consumer electronics devices feature a touch screen, which is already considered a must have for new devices. The next big topic will be haptic feedback solutions outperforming the poor vibration-based feedback that is the standard today. Adding haptic and sound feedback to touch screens using electro active polymers (EAPs) will be a featured topic at TCF LIVE Europe 2013 .

IDTechEx is delighted to host the first INTRASME Electric Vehicle Opportunity Workshop 2013 which will now be a free session for a full day.

The once rising price of indium generated an emerging TCF (Transparent Conductive Film) industry offering alternatives to ITO (indium tin oxide). The same is now happening with silver.

It has been a slow path to commercialize smart packaging. Despite strong needs such as the aging population, tougher legislation, huge waste, more demanding consumers and concerns about safety and crime; commercial success has been mixed.

This article shares some of the research in the newly updated IDTechEx report, "Stretchable Electronics Comes to Market."

The second and final day of Printed Electronics USA in Santa Clara really illustrated how far the technologies had progressed and the huge variety of players in the field. The event, organized by IDTechEx, was the best and biggest edition of the series so far. Amongst the attendees were company founders, directors, engineers, academics, but also students and patent attorneys. In particular, there were a large number of end users attending the show.

New drivers are opening up new frontiers in the display industry, resulting in technological innovation and the expansion and diversification of the market. This article summaries some of these recent developments and research from IDTechEx's brand new report "Metal Oxide TFT Backplanes for Displays 2013-2018: Analysis, Trends, Markets."

Leading designers of printed electronics collaborate on printed electronic demonstration give-a-way

The IDTechEx report The Market for Gold Inks 2013-2019 is looking to identify and assess the opportunities for a printable nano-gold ink, excluding its use in graphic arts applications (where it could be used for both its graphic arts benefits in addition to being used as a functional component in a circuit, such as printed touch switches, are taken into account).

On Dec 5 Printed Electronics USA 2012 will open in Santa Clara, CA. More than 100 exhibitors have already confirmed their involvement in what will be the largest event on the topic. Here are a few of the key show highlights.

As Asia has dominated in displays, photovoltaics, semiconductor manufacture and other technology sectors, so too will it dominate in making and integrating better components and consumer electronics using the new materials that are enabling devices to be lighter, more robust, flexible, more power efficient and higher performance. Some of these most exciting material developments and their uses are covered at Printed Electronics Asia 2012.

Graphene promises to offer excellent material properties in almost all applications. Its extraordinary performance has led many to call it the 'superlative' or 'wonder' material. However, the reality is different.

A new IDTechEx report requested by several of the world's largest chemical companies looks at the families of element and compound that will be most widely used in the new electronics and electrics.

Graphene is one of the most exciting new materials currently being developed. It brings superlative performance to supercapacitors, batteries, touch screens, logic, sensors, displays, composites and much more thanks to its electrical, thermal and mechanical properties.

As more and more flexible devices are becoming available, the need for better performing barriers and encapsulation materials at lower cost points intensifies.

Today, only one type of film - Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) - is used for almost all transparent conductive films with a market size of over $2 billion this year.

There have been three billion-dollar success stories in printed and organic electronics so far - and in each Asia has been a key driving factor.