QUEBEC, CANADA - Market Research firm Electronics.ca Publications has published a report entitled Printed & Organic Electronics Forecasts, Players & Opportunities 2008-2028, which reports that spending on printed and thin film electronics devices will be $1.58 billion this year.

The report states that of the technologies covered in the $1.58 billion market in 2008, only 27.8% of the components are currently printed electronics, but that level will rise to 79.6% by 2018. Also, while non-rigid substrate products (such as sensors and EL displays) account for only 15.7% of the market, this figure will also rise to 74% by 2018. The report goes on to state its assertion that the market opportunities are strongest for printed and flexible devices.

The report also indicates that printed electronics manufacturing as a percentage of the industry will increase significantly in the next 20 years.

EL SEGUNDO, CA – Global shipments of touch-screen display modules are expected to more than double from 2008 to 2012, according to iSuppli Corp.

The worldwide market for touch-screen modules will amount to 341 million units and $3.4 billion in 2008. iSuppli forecasts the market will grow to 833 million units by 2013, expanding at a CAGR of 19.5% from 2008. Global touch-screen module revenue is forecast to grow to $6.4 billion by 2013, rising at a CAGR of 13.7%.

Sales of touch-screens using projected capacitive technology are growing dramatically. In 2007, this technology grew at the fastest rate of all touch-screen technologies, with 10.5 million units shipped, for a value of $222 million, and iSuppli forecasts that the market will maintain this momentum, reaching 123.5 million units and $1.3 billion in revenue by 2013.

Resistive technology is the most commonly used type of touch-screen in the marketplace, accounting for 91% of global units in 2007, according to the research firm. However, due to low ASPs for this technology, it accounted for only 52% of the total touch-screen market revenue. The technology’s low price and high responsiveness to both finger and stylus touch has made it the leading touch-screen technology in terms of unit shipments during the last few years.

However, the resistive market now is suffering a shortage of indium tin oxide (ITO) film used to make such screens, due to production expansion among several major manufacturers and limited numbers of ITO film suppliers, says iSuppli.

With several large manufacturers expanding capacity, other types of transparent conductive materials, such as conductive polymer, carbon nanotube and antimony tin oxide (ATO) now have an entry-to-market opportunity, and Fujitsu has already started using conductive polymer materials for some of its resistive-type touch screens.