While the recent closure of the Strait of Hormuz has increased petrochemical prices, bioplastics remain consistently more expensive than conventional fossil plastics. In this article, IDTechEx explores how new legislation is required for bioplastics to overcome the green premium and grow their market share by providing secure demand for new capacity expansions by key bioplastics players worldwide.

This article explores the emergence of alternative conductive inks for printed electronics. The rising cost of raw and bulk silver is causing the inflation of conductive inks that rely on silver flakes as a conductive element, and alternatives such as copper ink and carbon inks are being developed.

IDTechEx analyst Dr Haynes assesses the alternatives to fossil-based plastics in this brief video.

The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation 2025/40 (PPWR) will begin rolling out from August 2026, introducing stricter requirements for packaging recyclability, recycled content, transparency, and producer responsibility across the EU. Chemical recycling is expected to play an important role in helping companies comply with these rules by enabling difficult-to-recycle materials, such as multilayer packaging and mixed plastic waste, to be processed into valuable recycled feedstocks. The regulation also establishes ambitious recycled-content targets through 2040, strengthening the case for mass balance accounting approaches that support chemically recycled materials. IDTechEx believes these regulatory changes are likely to be a major driver for the growth and adoption of chemical recycling technologies in the coming decade.

Substituting fossil fuel-based products with bio-alternatives is increasingly feasible as the development of new renewable feedstocks supports the commercial production of bio-based products including plastics, fuels and chemicals.

The production capacity for low-carbon ammonia will grow to 56.5 million tonnes in 2036.

As part of the device miniaturization trend happening worldwide, consumer electronics are becoming increasingly streamlined, with conductive inks, flexible batteries, and other technologies making this possible.

Electric vehicles are continuing to play a vital role in decarbonizing the transport industry as they help with the shift away from fossil fuel reliance with their utilization of battery technologies. This article covers micro EVs, materials, and thermal management.

Cobalt-chromium (CoCr) has long been the gold standard for articulating surfaces in hip and knee implants, but concerns over metal ion release are driving a wave of alternative materials. This article explores how ceramics, ceramic coatings, ceramicized metals, and PEEK are positioning to challenge CoCr's dominance.

The demand for products and services with more sustainable credibility is driving innovations across materials sectors, including gas separation membranes, composite materials for green energy, and next-generation feedstocks.

As interest in renewable energy continues to rise, hydrogen is still one of the main contenders in the race to the top. Both green and blue hydrogen technologies contribute to reducing carbon emissions, and this article covers some of the latest developments within the sector.

With graphene having been coined a 'wonder material' and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) serving niche and emerging applications, IDTechEx uncovers material truths in the form of research data that show the highlights and lowlights of these two advanced materials.

The surge in silver prices is placing increasing pressure on conductive ink manufacturers to develop alternative solutions for printed electronic applications, either with different conductive elements or lower silver content. This article details the technical challenges involved in developing a new ink formulation.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and polyethylene furanoate (PEF) are both emerging bioplastics with significant disruptive potential. In this article, IDTechEx explores how the worldwide production of PHAs and PEF will grow as technical hurdles are overcome and costs fall, with advantageous material properties unlocking new commercial applications.

Materials informatics is transforming modern materials R&D, accelerating the discovery and development of new materials while expanding what can be achieved through artificial intelligence. This article explores three applications driving the field today: AI-assisted screening, formulation development and generative design.

A world where plastic products are biodegradable and biofuels are increasingly available is one that would see far less harmful emissions being released into the atmosphere. This article by IDTechEx covers bioplastics, biofuels, and sustainable chemicals.

Silicon, silicon carbide, gallium nitride, and ultra-wide bandgap (UWBG) semiconductors all compete for space in the power electronics market. While data centers drive further commercialization of wide bandgap semiconductors to support increasingly power-hungry servers, other industries such as wind energy are reluctant to switch to newer, less proven technologies. At the same time, UWBG R&D continues to push these materials closer to commercialization, further complicating the power electronics industry's future.

Humanoid actuators are responsible for bringing humanoid robots to life with physical motion, allowing humanoids to walk, lift objects, handle tools, and interact with the environment. As the humanoid robot market grows, there are increasing opportunities for materials and component suppliers to enter the supply chain. This article from IDTechEx looks at the current state of humanoid actuators and highlights some of the directions and outlook for next generation of humanoid actuation.

As semiconductor packaging technologies evolve, 2.5D packaging and 3D Cu-Cu hybrid bonding are becoming essential routes to higher performance and improved power efficiency. However, manufacturing these packages at high yield requires careful material selection, process control, and continued innovation in packaging manufacturing techniques.

IDTechEx analyst Dr Shababa Selim assesses the opportunities for materials and component suppliers for humanoid robots.