Printed, Flexible and Organic Electronics

Conductivity is a hot topic within the conductive inks sector, with a wide variation of requirements for it differing by application. The low current of capacitive touch sensors and the need for resistance in PTC (positive temperature coefficient) heaters means the conductivity requirement for these applications is low. On the other hand, power electronics stand at the far end of the spectrum, with high conductivity required for high efficiency and optimum results.

Conductive inks are a diverse and versatile technology, with differing price points to suit various applications. Conductivity, stretchability, cost, and durability are just some of the factors of consideration for manufacturers when selecting ink types and materials, and IDTechEx's latest report, Conductive Inks Market 2024-2034: Technologies, Applications, Players, deep dives into the many combinations available.

Silver-flake-based inks currently dominate the conductive inks market, but the outlook for non-silver inks is set to change dramatically over the coming decade, with a CAGR of 24%. Stretchable/thermoformable inks and copper inks will seize the largest market share, driven by applications such as in-mold electronics, wearable electrodes, and RFID & smart packaging.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are underway, and elite athletes from all over the world are competing in various games using a range of different skills. With constant debate over gold, silver, and bronze medals, a comparison can be made with the conductive inks market. Silver flake-based inks are set to win gold in a number of different application areas, beating out competition from a host of conductive ink types.

IDTechEx expects the printed and flexible sensor market to reach US$960 million by 2034, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.6%. Being connected to infrastructure systems or partnering with suppliers and distributors will help printed sensors take off, alongside their ability to be available at scale, robust, and have long product lifetimes.

Wednesday 3 July 2024 - Introduction to the broad family of conductive inks; Status and outlook for the dominant conductive ink type, silver flake-based ink, including an assessment of current demand and a ten-year forecast; Overview of emerging applications; Critical assessment of the outlook for non-silver inks such as stretchable/thermoformable inks and copper inks.

The conductive inks market will grow to exceed US$6.5 billion by 2034 but remains a highly segmented industry, underpinning both photovoltaics and the emerging field of printed electronics. Taking stock of the different outlooks for the myriad of conductive ink types and the various application areas is a complex task. IDTechEx has tackled this problem by assessing the market for different conductive ink types across 15 application areas and providing granular ten-year market forecasts.

With 3D electronics, bulky PCBs can be replaced, resulting in sleek and integrated designs. The automotive industry is one of the largest sectors benefiting from this technology, as electronics can be printed in a thin layer onto surfaces or integrated within components, which can be particularly useful for human-machine interfaces (HMIs).

Electrification, autonomy, and vehicle ownership saturation are causing a technological revolution in the automotive sector. These automotive meta-trends are driving drastic changes in electronic component requirements and present a high-volume opportunity for printed electronics to capitalize on.

Thursday 16 May 2024 - An overview of 3D electronics including electronics on 3D surfaces, in-mold electronics and fully additive electronics; Technology benchmarking on conventional and emerging metallization methods; Discussion of the status, challenges and opportunities across the whole 3D electronics industry; Market opportunities and outlook