Printed and Flexible Sensors Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Aerogel and gas sensor R&D to enhance pollutant detection: Printed electrical gas sensors are an affordable, low-power, lightweight, and potentially disposable alternative to their counterparts produced using conventional methods including etching, photolithography, and chemical vapor deposition. Present-day research on printed electrical gas sensors comprises the study of materials, fabrication methodologies, and applications in monitoring air quality, diagnosis of diseases, food quality, and detection of hazardous gases. Additionally, the growing interest in smart homes, IoT, wearable devices, and point-of-need sensors has further fueled R&D in this segment.  Polyethylene-2,6-naphthalate (PEN), polyimide (PI), and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) are the most common flexible substrates being researched for the fabrication of gas sensors.
  
  A Global Action Plan report mentions that in the UK, particularly in London, Birmingham, and the Home County households face dangerous levels of indoor air pollution. 45% of homes had volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that surpassed healthy levels and 17% reported concerning levels of VOCs. In this perspective, researchers at the University of Cambridge developed a sensor in February 2024, made from aerogels or frozen smoke that detects formaldehyde as low as eight parts per billion concentration using AI techniques.to in real time at concentrations as low as, far beyond the sensitivity of most indoor air quality sensors. The aerogel incorporates 3D-printed lines of a graphene paste and tiny semiconductors called quantum dots to enhance formaldehyde sensitivity.
• Growing use in biomedical applications: Flexible sensors have been used daily, leading to significant advancements, especially in biomedical applications, as they can be used for curved surfaces and adapt to complex geometries due to their flexibility and stretchability. Blood gas analyzers, pregnancy tests, blood glucose monitors, and cholesterol tastings are among the devices that use medical biosensors. Biosensors identify and quantify biological materials, such as proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes, and antibodies.
  
  According to the National Institutes of Health, it is predicted that around 552 million people will have diabetes worldwide by 2030. Therefore, novel glucose biosensor technologies, such as POC devices, CGMS, and noninvasive glucose monitoring systems, have been created in recent decades due to the rising prevalence of diabetes. These sensors enable improved healthcare results by offering comfortable and non-invasive monitoring options. Therefore, biosensors with printed and flexible formats are acceptable, flexible, and reasonably priced for use in wearable and point-of-care applications, which is escalating the market growth.
• Increased technological advancements: The development of printing technologies like roll-to-roll, inkjet, and screen printing makes it possible to fabricate printed and flexible sensors with greater accuracy and resolution. These developments lead to increased cost-effectiveness, scalability, and sensor performance. For instance, in February 2024, Tekscan released a new pressure mapping sensor to handle the difficulties associated with sensing interface pressure in battery manufacture and research. By spotting possible issues with battery design, this method provides our customers with practical insights that could result in improved, safer, and more dependable energy storage.
  
  The use of printed and flexible sensors is growing across a range of industries due to the growing demand for technologically sophisticated sensors that are flexible and simple to integrate.
• Increased adoption for producing sustainable energy: Various new systems and technologies are introduced in the energy business. Many research organizations have succeeded in developing flexible instruments and equipment that can be used in the renewable energy sector. These devices are nimble and agile because they use printable and flexible sensors. Flexible sensors have utility in other industrial settings as well. These sensors are more beneficial to the final user and need very little space.

Challenges

• Intense competition from alternatives: Because conductive ink is inexpensive and easy to use, it limits industry improvements. As a result, the printed and flexible sensors market growth rate for flexible sensors will be challenged.
• High costs: The main issue impeding the growth of flexible and printable sensors in the coming years is their expensive cost in comparison to rigid sensors and their significant handling danger.