Analysis

Vicor has released its technology predictions for 2021, covering four areas: Automotive, High-Performance Computing, Aerospace & Defense and Robotics. Buried in the tumult of 2020 was a rapid acceleration in the speed of innovation. Nowhere was this more evident than in the record-breaking development of not one, but many, COVID-19 vaccines.

Wearable technology with sensing functionality, such as wearable skin patches, is emerging as a highly promising application for printed/flexible electronics. Deployed either as skin patch or embedded within an e-textile, these devices enable parameters such as heart rate and temperature to be recorded in real-time and then transmitted wirelessly.

The new IDTechEx report, 'Transparent Electronics Materials, Applications, Markets 2021-2041' describes a market that will be well above $20bn in 2041 with a substantial possible upside. The rapidly expanding business of transparent electronics includes transparent electrics and optronics. For example, the new LG and Xiaomi micro-LED displays will constitute the best see-through billboards with 'bright images floating in the air' in planned smart...

Energy storage technologies have undergone several years of sustained growth stemming from progress in markets such as consumer devices and the quest for decarbonisation kick-starting growth in electric vehicle (EV) and stationary energy storage demand.

The UK logistics industry claims British businesses will have to rethink their reliance on China and its importance to international supply chains (32%) as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Logistics industry leaders, polled by IMHX, has also forecast a move toward increased warehouse automation and robotics (29%), which could help to address challenges presented by social distancing as well as labour shortages fuelled by Brexit.

The year 2020 was a most unusual and challenging year for businesses and consumers. With the promise of a new year looming, it is worthwhile to step back, take a fresh look at the IC industry, and assess where it stands today and what can be expected in 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic is the black swan to disrupt the rollout of 5G. Although the pandemic has had little adverse impact on Telecoms so far, the resulting global economic crisis is likely to reduce the telecoms' investment in 5G infrastructure and harm the willingness of customers to adapt to 5G devices and applications.

The European Commission (EC) has proposed stricter regulations regarding the Li-ion sustainability of batteries. The previous Battery Directive dated back to 2006, when safe recycling and disposal of Pb-acid and Ni-Cd batteries were the primary concern and the Li-ion market was still in its infancy.

In this article, Laura Baldwin, President at O’Reilly, takes a look back at 2020 and discusses the tremendous impact it will have on business decisions, leadership, keeping pace with technology, and the rise of AI democratisation throughout 2021.

IC Insights is updating its comprehensive forecasts and analyses of the IC industry for its 24th edition of The McClean Report, which will be released in January 2021. Included in the report is a historical review of capital spending and forecast spending rates for leading IC product categories.