Market Trends of Flexible Electronics Industry
This section covers the major market trends shaping the Flexible Electronics Market according to our research experts:
3D Integration in Healthcare is Expected to Drive the Market
- 3D printing is advancing, and it has a wide range of applications, including 3D-printed flexible electronic devices in the healthcare sector. 3D printers can be used for the direct printing of biomedical devices onto the human skin and can help build flexible electronic sensors to measure body pressure. These printers are expected to improve sensation in prosthetic hands and surgical robotic arms.
- Additionally, a 3D-printed flexible electrical glove can be used to provide comfortable thermotherapy for patients, as the heat formed by these flexible electronic devices can treat injury points by enhancing blood flow and reducing pain.
- Research is being done to use 3D printed, flexible wearable Bioelectronic Tactile Sensors for continuous monitoring for early detection of disease-induced physiological irregularities. As such, efforts are made to develop novel, multi-material, and multilayer all-3D-printed nanocomposite-based (M2A3DNC) micro-engineered, hybrid, flexible, and soft wearable pressure sensors to record sensitive and multiple physiological signals for real-time human health monitoring.
- Moreover, these 3D-printed flexible electronic devices have various applications in the fields of prosthetic organs for the disabled. Furthermore, in November 2021, Graftys SA, a company specializing in designing and manufacturing bone graft substitutes for orthopedic surgery, announced the acquisition of Biologics4Life, a French company working on developing a new generation of injectable synthetic bone graft materials. The acquisition will increase the company's expertise in bone grafts and advanced treatment for patients suffering from fractures or bone loss.
North America to Experience Significant Market Growth
- North America is expected to register significant growth in the flexible electronics market. The increasing demand for smart wearables, combined with consumer electronics, is driving the demand for flexible electronics in the region. For example, according to Ericsson, the number of smartphone subscriptions in North America is estimated to reach 358 million by 2027, based on the steady growth seen in earlier years. Americans owned approximately 328 million smartphones as of 2021.
- Furthermore, according to Cisco Systems, the wearable market is promising in the United States, as the number of connected wearable devices in North America is expected to grow to over 439 million in 2022. North America is forecast to be the region with the most 5G connections made using wearable devices in 2022.
- Further, the U.S. defense establishment, which has promoted many successful high-technology industries, has been interested in flexible electronics technologies for military usage, and that will support the growth of the necessary research infrastructure. Several U.S. states that are at the front of U.S. innovation have recognized research centers for flexible and printed electronics.
- In addition, the U.S. Armed Services have been in front of support the development of flexible electronics in the United States. The Army Research Laboratory and other U.S. Army organizations, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the Office of Naval Research (ONR), and the U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) presently support many research efforts in the field with a weight on defense applications, chiefly displays.