5G, 6G, RFID & Telecoms

Wearable technology for humans is a big business. There will be almost 40 product sub-categories in the next 10 years, including fitness trackers, smartwatches, connected clothing, smart eyewear, medical devices, smart patches, headphones, and hearing devices.

IDTechEx Research has been following and analysing the conductive inks and pastes market for many years. It finds that this $1.3bn* market is subject to major change with long-lasting consequences on the business models of many large incumbent suppliers.

$1.2 billion of electrically conductive adhesives (ECAs) are already selling each year, and they are becoming increasingly common to replace solders in a variety of functions, applications and industries.

The state of the industry in terms of market size by component type is summarized.

The conductive inks and paste business will generate a demand of 1800 tonnes. IDTechEx Research forecasts that this will grow to 2200 by 2026. This business has come alive again and is now a business where literally everything is changing.

Whilst the majority of wearable technology products sold today still fit with the components-in-a-box design, 2015 has been a record year for investment in smart clothing and e-textile products.

Thin, flexible and printed batteries have the potential to be widely used in wearable and medical devices and will reach a market of over $400 million in a decade, according to IDTechEx report Flexible, Printed and Thin Film Batteries 2015-2025: Technologies, Forecasts, Players.

RFID is thriving, reaching total sales of $10.1bn in 2015 with a large scope ahead for continued roll-out in many established markets and growth in new markets. However, companies must consider their positioning as many new players enter the market while the value chain consolidates, finds IDTechEx Research in the new detailed report, RFID Forecasts, Players, Opportunities 2016-2026 which covers the entire industry.

Wireless networking is rapidly pervading society, not least in China, where allied topic RFID is lifting off very rapidly.

Each year IDTechEx Research releases its up-to-date market report on graphene and related materials: Graphene and 2D Materials: Markets, Technologies and Opportunities 2015-2025.