Report: Printable Electronics: Roadmaps, Markets and Opportunities

Printable Electronics: Roadmaps, Markets and Opportunities

Printable electronics -- the use of low-cost, high-speed printing technologies to create electronic circuits and devices -- promises to change the economics of the electronics industry and to create new kinds of products. According to its backers, the emergence of high-resolution ink-jet printers and semiconductor inks will enable the some segments electronics industry to transition from an environment in which electronics manufacturing plants are escalating in cost at an exponential rate to one in which production costs are modest and small, highly customized runs are economically feasible. At the same time the expectations are that low production and material costs and the ability to print onto flexible substrates will lead to a new generation of electronics products ranging from throwaway RFID tags to wall coverings with embedded photovoltaic cells or sensors.

This report provides a critical analysis of this vision and an in-depth analysis of the value proposition that printable electronics brings to the table. It includes a segmentation and eight-year forecast of the market by application and technology, along with commentaries of how firms are succeeding in this space today. In addition, the report answers such questions as:

Is ink-jet printed electronics ready for prime time? (There are significantly different opinions on this in the industry.) What have been its challenges and triumphs?
Where will printable electronics generate new business revenues in the next eight years? What are the low-hanging fruit and where are sustainable profits to be found? Printable electronics experts talk about a wide variety of new products -- smart packaging, membrane keyboards, flexible displays, electronic signage, photovoltaic panels, etc. What is real and what is not? When will these products arrive on the market?
Who are going to be the leaders in the printable electronics space? Giant firms such as 3M, DuPont and Dow are already strongly committed to this space. And several specialist firms have already done IPOs. Who will be ultimate winners and losers . . . and why?
What type of equipment will be used? While the buzz is all about ink-jet there are a number of other printing technologies that will be used in the printable electronics arena. These include nanoimprint lithography, offset lithography and flexographic printing. This report will compare and contrast technologies.
In what areas will printable electronics firms prove a threat to the existing electronics industry and how will traditional firms adapt?
This report will be essential reading to business strategists, marketing and business development executives, product managers and technologists within electronics companies, specialty chemical and materials firms, printing and printing equipment companies, and electronic manufacturing eqiupment firms. It is also designed for investment banks, venture capitalists and internal investment teams that are looking at investments in printable electronics. The report will be based on an extensive interview program that will cover the entire value chain -- including manufacturers of printing equipment and inks and of the printed devices themselves.