After years of hype, the 3D printing industry has moved onto a more critical examination of the value-add that effective additive manufacturing adoption brings to businesses and supply chains. In a recent episode on 3D printing, the technology innovation podcast 'Tomorrow's Tech by IDTechEx' explored the history and benefits of this versatile technology, which has existed for over 30 years yet is still finding new applications and end-users in many major sectors.

The electric vehicle (EV) market experienced another exciting year of growth in 2023. Following a 62% increase in electric car sales in 2022 compared to 2021, IDTechEx predicts a 16% increase in global sales for 2023. However, growth was somewhat constrained during the year due to the performance of plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) in Europe, particularly in the first half of 2023, partly attributed to subsidy reductions in Germany. Nevertheless, many agree that EVs represent the future of the automotive industry, particularly for passenger cars.

Ten years ago, the 3D printing landscape was in the midst of its first big boom. With the 2009 expiration of a key Stratasys patent that covered thermoplastic filament extrusion technology, desktop filament printers were taking off, buoyed by new disrupters like Makerbot.

IDTechEx have released a brand new episode of the 'Tomorrow's Tech by IDTechEx' podcast, '3D Printing: Hobbyist Pastime or Industrial Evolution'. Host Dr Tess Skyrme and industry expert Sona Dadhania will be discussing the up-and-coming trends in the 3D printing landscape.

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

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.

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.

Friday 3 November 2023 - Analyze financial activity in 2023 within the AM industry; Identify AM industry trends and challenges from 2023 and predict future 2024 industry moves; Present IDTechEx's 2024 takeaways for the 3D Printing market

Wednesday 20 September 2023 - Drivers behind the greater fire safety focus in EVs; Battery design and evolution impacting material selection; Aerogels compared to other fire protection materials; Key players in the aerogel market for EVs and market progress; Outlook for the future of aerogels in EV applications

Aerogels have experienced steady market growth historically, reaching a market of just under US$450 million in 2022. Progress has been somewhat slower than some would expect; this has largely been due to competition with lower-cost incumbent insulation materials.

In the past decade or so, the additive manufacturing industry has been characterized by an ever-increasing number of hardware players trying to capture their own share of the market. While there were signs of consolidation in the early 2010s, given major moves by industry leaders like Stratasys and 3D Systems, AM has instead seen a consistent stream of newcomers with their own innovative takes on AM, such that IDTechEx now segments their 3D printing hardware forecast by seventeen different categories to account for such diversity.

RAPID + TCT is one of North America's biggest trade shows and conferences for the additive manufacturing (AM) industry. This year, IDTechEx attended and spoke at the show; they interviewed prominent players and observed industry trends.

Smooth, functional surfaces that provide touch sensing, often with backlighting, are becoming increasingly common. Applications range from vehicle interiors and domestic appliances to medical devices and aircraft seating. Rather than relying on a mechanical or membrane switch, these surfaces utilize capacitive touch sensing - the same principle used in smartphone displays.

Integrating multiple functionalities within a single entity promises simpler, more efficient devices without compromising capability. Smartphones are a great example, with maps, diaries, phones, cameras, games consoles, and more integrated into a single, compact device.

Using graphene to improve the performance of energy storage devices has been a key focus ever since the 2D material was isolated. As soon as the first commercial graphene manufacturers were established, there has been a steady stream of announcements related to batteries, but perhaps none are as significant as the 2023 news of Evonik entering the field with their investment in SuperC.

Surfaces, be they in kitchen appliances, automotive interiors, medical devices, or even furniture, are becoming increasingly smart. Embedded lighting, touch sensitivity, heating, and even haptic feedback enables inanimate and often neglected surfaces into a design feature with seamlessly integrated user controls. But what is the best way to manufacture these smart surfaces?

Thursday 23 February 2023 - Opportunities for Integrated Functionality. In this webinar Dr Matthew Dyson, a Principal Technology Analyst at IDTechEx, will discuss the following topics: - The status of IME and competing approaches for creating functional and decorative interfaces across multiple application sectors. - The challenges and benefits associated with functionality integration, and how the value proposition of IME is likely to grow over time. - IME specific material requirements, especially for conductive inks. - A roadmap for IME adoption, segmented by industry.

Wednesday 8 February 2023 - Technological Developments and Applications. Contents that will be covered in this webinar include: An overview of PIC technology; Drivers of increased data demands from data centres; PIC trends in the communications industry; and PIC adoption in other markets

As high-performance computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms, and even consumers become increasingly data-hungry, hardware struggles to keep pace. In addition, the need for real-time assessments of moving data points - such as for the accurate velocity-mapping of other objects in autonomous systems and facial recognition for security systems - is crucial to an increasingly hands-free society.