Wednesday 31 January 2024 - Vegan Leather: New Bio-based Materials Aiming to Disrupt the Leather Industry - Background on animal and plastic (synthetic) leathers; Market drivers, including consumer, brand and regulatory drivers; An introduction to the emerging technologies including plant-based leather, mycelium leather (mushroom), microbial leather (fermentation) and lab grown leather (cell-culture); The go to market strategy approaches and applications of these materials; IDTechEx's outlook and conclusions

IDTechEx predicts that by 2044, utilization of waste CO2 will reach 800 Mt to create over 3,000 Mt of useful products. Revenue generated through carbon dioxide utilization (CO2U) over the next two decades will be vital to enabling the development of commercially viable CO2 capture technologies for the future.

Thursday 1 February 2024 - Identify technical and material trends within the 3D printing market; Highlight key developments influencing AM's rise, including discussion on relevant players and news; Present IDTechEx's outlook on the AM market

Electric motors are a core component of electrification in the automotive market. The market has heavily relied on rare earths for the permanent magnets used in these motors, but, as many will be aware, there is a drive to eliminate these rare earths due to their price volatility and environmental impact. Alternative motor technologies can often present a new and increased demand for copper.

The 3D printing industry is by no means new, given the invention of the first 3D printing technologies in the 1980s; yet, in an industry with a long history of twists and turns, 2024 is looking to be the most consequential yet for additive manufacturing. This can be traced back to the shockwaves set off by COVID-19. While the pandemic initially lowered sales for many 3D printer manufacturers, it also created opportunities for additive manufacturing to showcase its unique strengths, as numerous companies looked to reshoring and strengthening their supply chain to avoid persistent disruptions amidst global shipping shortages.

IDTechEx have launched a new monthly podcast, 'Tomorrow's Tech by IDTechEx', bringing you up to date technology trends. In each episode our host will interview an industry expert from IDTechEx, offering insights into a range of emerging technologies.

Until recently, there have been no serious competing materials for animal and plastic (synthetic) leather. A new generation of bio-based alternatives aims to displace these incumbent materials with plastic-free, sustainable alternatives.

Green hydrogen is increasingly recognized as a clean industrial feedstock and the future's energy carrier. Central to green hydrogen production is the water electrolyzer. Historically, the alkaline water electrolyzer (AWE) has dominated the market due to its maturity and development

Semiconductor packaging technologies have evolved from initial 1D PCB levels to the cutting-edge 3D hybrid bonding packaging at the wafer level. This advancement facilitates single-digit micronmeter interconnecting pitches, achieving over 1000 GB/s bandwidth with high energy efficiency.

Wednesday 17 January 2024 - 2.5D advanced semiconductor packaging technologies: current status, existing barriers, future development trend, target markets, player analysis; 3D advanced semiconductor packaging technologies: current status, existing barriers, future development trend, target markets, player analysis; Market outlook for 2.5D and 3D packaging technologies

Graphene has long been touted as a wonder material, capable of enabling countless next-generation technologies. The market is beginning to mature, and successful application areas are starting to emerge. These applications range from energy storage to thermal management and composites.

Wednesday 24 January - Locations of copper around modern and future vehicles; Copper utilisation in the electric powertrain: Impact of changing battery chemistries; Impact of changing motor technologies; Impact of emerging semiconductor technologies in the inverter; Overview of replacement threats from aluminium

Due to rising labor costs and labor shortages, coupled with the surge in e-commerce and logistics demands, the mobile robotics market is rapidly expanding. IDTechEx's forecast indicates that the annual market size for mobile robotics in logistics and delivery is set to approach US$150 billion, marked by a robust double-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next two decades.

Copper is a key mineral for the automotive industry, used ubiquitously across the wiring harnesses market. Its demand is set to grow due to electric vehicle and autonomous vehicle megatrends. IDTechEx's brand new report "Copper Demand for Cars 2024-2034: Trends, Utilization, Forecasts" finds the automotive copper demand will reach 5MT (1MT = 1 billion kilograms) of annual demand in 2034.

Computers on wheels. That's how people currently see cars. Practically everything that happens in a vehicle is being monitored and actuated by a microcontroller, from opening windows to calculating the optimal fuel-air mixture for the current torque demand. But the surface has only just been scratched in terms of how much computing power is making its way into vehicles.

Tuesday 12 December 2023 - Material Innovations in Electrolyzers for Green Hydrogen Production - Introduction to the hydrogen economy and water electrolyzer technologies; Overview of incumbent electrolyzer materials and components; Key innovations needed in electrolyzer materials and components; Electrolyzer component market outlook

On the 28th November 2023, a plane flew from London to New York. For the first time in history, this transatlantic flight was 100% powered by sustainable alternative fuels. This rounds off a promising year for sustainable fuels in aviation. Earlier in 2023, ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation was adopted by the European Union, mandating a 70% sustainable aviation fuel blending obligation by 2050.

The battery deservedly takes the major focus when it comes to technology development in EVs. But an EV's powertrain has to act holistically to operate with optimal performance and interact with the passenger cabin's conditioning system. This means that the thermal management of the motors, power electronics, and how this all interacts is just as important as the battery.

Historically, the aerogel market has experienced slow and steady growth. With the newly found demand for thermal insulation and fire protection in electric vehicle (EV) batteries, aerogel manufacturers are making big plans and investments in order to scale up in preparation to serve this new market.

In an era marked by a global shift towards sustainable energy solutions, the hydrogen industry is at the forefront of this transformative wave. Green hydrogen, produced through water electrolysis-powered renewable energy, stands out as a key solution for decarbonizing sectors where direct electrification remains a challenge.