Flexible electronics

IDTechEx forecasts that flexible electronics in cardiac monitoring, deployed in electronic skin patches and electronic textiles, will be a $2 billion market in the year 2030.

Flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) is a novel approach to electronic circuit manufacturing that aims to combine the best of printed and conventional electronics.

While traditional electronic systems have an inherently rigid form factor, developments in manufacturing processes and materials are enabling a new world of flexible electronics. IDTechEx forecasts the market for healthcare products containing flexible electronics to be worth over $8.3 billion by the year 2030.

While flexible electronics have been around for years, either as flexible PCBs or genuinely printed electronics, there has always been a trade-off between flexibility and capability. A new report from IDTechEx discusses the innovation trends, opportunities and challenges in the FHE market.

Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and screen-printing techniques open the door to miniaturised gas sensors and enable the integration of such gas sensors into many consumer devices, such as mobile phones and wearable devices.

IDTechEx identifies top future technologies in healthcare. With demographic changes such as the aging of the population, they forecast there to be strong growth in technologies that help healthcare providers manage the growing burden on the healthcare system while maintaining high quality care.

There is dramatic change in some industries, with leading printed electronics vendors moving quickly to capitalize on the new sought after capabilities. These opportunities will be addressed at the Printed Electronics Europe exhibition and conference in Berlin on 13 - 14 May (register by 23 January to save 40%).

Ares Materials is developing novel transparent polymer materials for the next generation of truly flexible mobile, wearable and embedded electronics.