In March, the printed electronics industry flocked to Munich once again for the LOPEC 2024 conference and exhibition. Featured were some of the latest printed electronics technologies addressing global mega-trends such as vehicle electrification, healthcare personalization, industry 4.0, and sustainability.

Sensors are vital in modern life. They measure a vast quantity of metrics and parameters, acting as the interface between the physical and digital worlds. Printed sensors can be produced in large areas on flexible substrates, reducing costs and unlocking new market opportunities. The new IDTechEx report, "Printed and Flexible Sensors 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Markets", breaks down key trends by technology approach - highlighting both opportunities and challenges for the industry forecast to reach US$960 million by 2034.

Software reading scans and online management of mental health are examples of digital healthcare that keep up with the modernization of the world, where efficiency and patient satisfaction are two key benefits. The weight of increasing demand for services could be lifted as more options become available for patients to seek treatment, and communication across the medical field can be redesigned.

Healthcare systems around the world are being put under increasing strain every year. Key challenges they face include overburdened medical staff and a steady rise in patients with chronic health conditions that require high levels of care.

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.

The future of healthcare is increasingly personalized, with smartwatches that can monitor key vital signs from the comfort of the living room to genetic testing that can tell people vital information about their health. Tracking information within the body and having doctors able to prescribe personalized cancer treatments demonstrate how technologies are creating a new future of healthcare.

Tunneling magneto resistance sensors are rapidly disrupting the automotive and wearables industry. These tiny sensors leverage quantum phenomena to provide a performance edge over classical incumbents, including industry mainstays such as Hall effect sensors. Although they don't depend on the more exciting effects such as superposition and entanglement, in this article, IDTechEx highlights the lessons to be learned from the success of TMR sensors in the emerging quantum sensor market.

By now, antimicrobial technologies are well known to the general public, being applied to products ranging from antimicrobial coatings to protect people from bacteria and viruses lingering on high-touch surfaces to antimicrobial infused shirts and socks to help limit malodor.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI), also known as hospital-acquired infections, are a major problem healthcare systems face worldwide. Each year, millions of patients contract infectious diseases while in hospital.

Sony recently announced 'Project Q', comprising the development of a hand-held PlayStation and corresponding high-end earbuds. The inclusion of earbuds initially seems surprising since headphones and earphones are amongst the most mature in the near hundred billion-dollar wearables market.

Wednesday 5 July 2023 - Learnings From the COVID-19 Pandemic. What are the key antimicrobial technologies on the market today? What are the key applications for antimicrobial technologies, and what are the drivers? How do antimicrobial technologies work? How do they provide residual protection against microorganisms? What product and market trends were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic? What can we expect in the next global pandemic?

IDTechEx have recently published the market research report "Antiviral and Antimicrobial Technology Market 2023-2033", covering additives and coatings that can provide residual antimicrobial protection to surfaces.

Wednesday 28 June - Where Metamaterials Meet Tele-Communications. What is a reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS), and why are they likely to be needed for high frequency telecommunications.; The different types of RIS (passive, semi-passive, active) and where they are likely to be deployed; Manufacturing processes and materials required for RIS production.

Consumer technology available today is impressive but still not as cool as promised by many classic sci-fi movies. Our dreams of hoverboards and holograms have been replaced by stagnating smartphone designs and doom-scrolling. Yet things look set to change.

Thursday 27 April 2023 - What is the status and outlook for the wearables industry as a whole? How do the opportunities and challenges vary between wearable sensors and actuators? How is the role of wearables in healthcare evolving? Why wearables for drug-free health management and which technologies have the most commercial potential?

Thursday 13 April 2023 - This webinar will explore these lessons in depth through discussions on; Market trends across key applications for e-textiles; Manufacturing methods and how materials choice for e-textiles have evolved over the years; Examples from notable relevant companies; A review of the current state of the e-textiles market; Potential opportunities and challenges for the industry

Wearable technology is threatening to disrupt aspects of the pharmaceutical industry, with the latest technology offering a drug-free alternative to health management. But which of these competing wearable technologies are the promising candidates to lead the healthcare revolution?

Electronic skin patches have made remarkable progress in the field of healthcare. These wearable electronic devices feature adhesive pads designed to be worn directly on the skin, enabling convenient and non-invasive monitoring of vital signs and biomarkers.

A shirt that can track a person's heart rate, a shoe that can measure gait - the integration of electronic components with textiles to form e-textiles has been a significant research interest for several years.