Printed Electronics Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Material (Substrate, Ink), By Technology (Flexography, Screen, Ink-jet Printing, Gravure Printing), By Device (Displays, RFID, Photovoltaic, Lighting), By Application (Healthcare, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Transportation, Consumer Electronics) and By Region(North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, LATAM) Forecasts, 2023-2031

Market Overview

The global printed electronics market size was valued at USD 13.59 billion in 2022. It is projected to reach USD 56.69 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 17.8% during the forecast period (2023-2031). 

Printed electronics, also known as 'emerging electronics,' is gaining widespread popularity owing to its sleek design, lightweight, robust nature, and low-cost production. One of the sought-after benefits of printed electronics is that they can be made from organic, polymeric, or inorganic materials. They enable the production and integration of printed, electronic components into reel-to-reel processes that help serve single-use, ubiquitous, and new areas of applications. The increasing demand for IoT devices and advanced technology-equipped slim electronics is anticipated to drive the printed electronics market during the forecast period. There is a rising inclination toward the manufacturing of flexible keyboards, antennas, and electronic skin patches with the evolution of printed electronics. Nowadays, inkjet printers, which are quite fast, are used to print electric circuits, which are deployed in healthcare, aerospace, and media sectors, among others.

Market Dynamics

What are the Primary Factors Driving the Printed Electronics Market?

Increase Demand for Next-Generation Contactless Printers

The increasing use of printed, electronic circuits in smart and connected devices and the consumer preference for energy-efficient, next-generation flexible consumer electronics drive the demand for printed electronics. The popularity of contactless printers, such as inkjet printers, in emerging textile and industrial applications is also increasing the demand for printed electronics. Inkjet printers digitally control the ejection of ink droplets onto substrates to design the circuit. The rising demand for OLED displays is also anticipated to instigate increasing adoption of the technology owing to their low production cost, low power consumption, and higher efficiency.

Growing Application of Printed Electronics in the Healthcare Industry

The use of flexible and printed electronics in healthcare is among the most promising applications. One of the first printed electronics (PE) success stories was glucose monitors, which grew into an industry worth $1 billion annually. Real-time health monitoring by wearables is a promising use case, made possible by form factors that can adapt to the body. The successful use of printed electronics in the monitoring of medication use is one example. With the successful commercialization of its Med-ic smart medication blisters, which use conductive traces to display that patients have taken their medications, Information Mediary Corp. is among the most successful producers of printed electronics in the healthcare industry.

What are the Main Factors that will Slow Down the Printed Electronics Market?

High Cost & Limited Availability of Raw Material

The high cost and limited availability of raw materials used in developing the best conductive inks for printed electronics hinder the market growth. Manufacturers also face challenges with trial-and-error and testing to ensure optimized operations. However, the increasing penetration of IoT and advancements in testing tools are anticipated to support the printed electronics market growth in the near future.

What are the Future Opportunities for Printed Electronics Market?

Growing Demand for Consumer Electronics

The high demand for consumer electronics and wearables is anticipated to offer high growth opportunities for market growth as the customer lifestyle and preference change. Government initiatives promoting research on improvisation in printed electronics are anticipated to uncover many other areas of application. The high dependence on IoT and communication devices amid the global COVID-19 crisis is compelling manufacturers to implement such technologies into various products to satisfy consumer demand. The increasing number of mergers and acquisitions, as well as strategic distribution partnerships, to focus on market development in emerging regions is anticipated to propel market growth. The U.S.-based Thin Film Electronics ASA recently entered into a joint venture with CymMetrik to expand its product sales in China, Taiwan, and India. The high demand in these countries, owing to the growth of the semiconductors and electronics industry, is anticipated to gain considerable traction during the forecast period.

Regional Analysis

The global printed electronics market is bifurcated into four regions, namely North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA. 

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America region is the highest contributor to the market and is anticipated to grow at a healthy CAGR during the forecast period. Significant investments in Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE), malleable sensors, and other emerging technologies are aiding the expansion of the production and sales of printed electronic circuits in North America. FHE technology is allowing manufacturers to develop a new generation of chips, enabling high performance, scalability, softness, and flexibility. Key chipmakers in the U.S. and Canada are innovating novel ways to augment sales in the IoT market. The changing lifestyle has increased the demand for foldable phones, which has spurred the need for reliable displays. Manufacturers are thus focusing on thin-film-display technology to be incorporated into printed circuits to allow folding and unfolding without image distortion.

Europe is anticipated to witness dynamic growth in the market during the forecast period due to rising R&D expenditures and expanding use of the technology in a variety of industrial applications, including lighting, photovoltaic, and RFID devices. The forecast period is anticipated to see consistent growth rates in the region. The target market in Europe is expanding significantly due to the region's increasing adoption of cutting-edge technologies and the increasing popularity of electronics products. On March 2022, the LOPEC conference was held at the ICM—International Congress Center München. The LOPEC Conference, which precedes the international trade show for flexible, organic, and printed electronics, is the premier industry event worldwide. Whether it's in the design of vehicles, medical technology, or photovoltaics, printed electronics are fostering innovation across a range of sectors. The LOPEC Conference, which will host close to 200 presentations, reflects this variety.

Asia-Pacific is anticipated to witness significant growth in the market during the forecast period due to the growing use of printed electronics technology in applications for consumer electronics. It is anticipated that the APAC region's market will continue to hold the top spot while expanding at the fastest CAGR. This expansion can be attributed to the area's rapidly expanding electronics manufacturing industry. South Korea, China, and Japan are three emerging nations that significantly contribute to market growth. Additionally, electronics manufacturing is concentrated in the Asia Pacific region, particularly in China.

The LAMEA region is anticipated to witness moderate growth in the global market during the forecast period. The use of printing equipment for defining patterns on materials, such as gravure, offset, screen printing, flexography, inkjet, and lithography, is rising in South America. The low cost of manufacturing, penetration of IoT devices, and the flexible form factor of printable electronics have made the market highly advantageous for a varied range of applications. Screen printing and smart packaging are anticipated to hold the highest market share in the retail industry. Researchers in the Middle East and Africa are focusing on conductive polymers and inks that can be safely printed into foils, paper, glass, and fabric at affordable costs. OPE-MENA conference is the first leading communication platform in the field of organic and printed electronics in the Middle East and North Africa in collaboration with the International OE-A Association. 

Segmental Analysis

The global printed electronics market is segmented by material, technology, device, and application

Based on material, the global market is bifurcated into ink and substrate.

The ink segment is the highest contributor to the market and is anticipated to grow at a healthy CAGR during the forecast period. The widespread use of printed electronics technology has made it possible for inks to be widely adopted in a variety of applications across various industrial sectors. Therefore, over the course of the forecast period, the segment is anticipated to significantly contribute to the growth of the market.

The substrate segment is anticipated to witness a higher CAGR. Flexible substrates are also widely used in printed electronics. It lowers production costs and makes it possible to create mechanically flexible circuits. Rigid substrates like glass and silicon are typically imprinted by inkjet and screen printing. At the same time, paper and flexible foil are used in mass printing techniques. Due to its low cost and higher temperature stability, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is the most frequently used material for substrates.

Based on the technology, the global market is bifurcated into flexography, screen printing, inkjet printing, and gravure printing.

The screen printing technology segment is the highest contributor to the market and is anticipated to grow at a healthy CAGR during the forecast period. The expansion of screen printing can be credited to the industry's use in the production of sensors and displays. Creating displays for commercially available electronics like laptops and smartphones primarily involves screen printing. The ability to precisely print both thin and thick lines on substrates is used to develop sensors and cells. Furthermore, modern methods make it possible to incorporate electronic printing into any material, including paper, nylon, cotton, plastic, and glass, to produce reasonably priced smart objects.

The inkjet printing segment is anticipated to grow at a stagnant rate. Inkjet printing reproduces a digital image by hurling ink droplets onto paper and plastic substrates. The most popular kind of printer is an inkjet printer, which comes in a variety of sizes and price points, from low-cost consumer models to costly business models.

Based on devices, the global market is bifurcated into displays, RFID, photovoltaic, and lighting.

The display segment is the highest contributor to the market and is anticipated to grow at a healthy CAGR during the forecast period. It is anticipated that the segment will maintain its dominant position over the coming years. The other devices segment, which includes sensors, printed batteries, medical & healthcare, and media, is adopting printed electronics technology at a consistent rate.

The RFID segment is anticipated to grow at a significant rate due to the expanding use of RFID in the quickly expanding packaging industry. The packaging industry is seeing an increase in demand for RFID devices because of their accuracy, authenticity, dependability, and cost-effectiveness.

Based on application, the global market is bifurcated into healthcare, aerospace and defense, automotive and transportation, and consumer electronics.

The automotive and transportation segment is the highest contributor to the market and is anticipated to grow at a healthy CAGR during the forecast period. The automotive industry uses a wide range of printed electronics, including sensors, displays, thin-film PV cells, and OLED lighting options. Additionally, printed electronics are widely used in car interiors. For instance, window defoggers and car seat heaters can both be made with conductive inks. Automotive designers can incorporate a variety of electronic features into their vehicles while lowering the complexity of electronic circuitry by using molded electronics. Vehicles with PV cells installed use less fuel and emit fewer greenhouse gases. 

The aerospace and defense segment is anticipated to grow at a significant rate owing to the increasing use of printed electronics-based lighting. The lightweight, high reliability and efficiency of printed electronics-based lighting are increasing its adoption in the aerospace and defense segment.

Impact of covid-19

The novel coronavirus has disrupted the supply chain and led to the cancelation of trade shows of the latest printed electronics such as LOPEC 2020, SEMICON Southeast Asia, and Smart Packaging Summit USA. As per the Events Industry Council and Oxford Economics, the global events collection for the printed electronics market accounted for USD 2.5 trillion in sales during 2017.

The current lockdowns and work from home scenarios have slowed down the market growth to some extent. However, key manufacturers are developing and promoting energy-efficient displays that use organic light-emitting diodes and OLED technology for use in high-end smartphones. In many countries, online publications devoted to printed electronics are growing rapidly to promote the latest products and help businesses, events, and ideas.

Recent Developments

• April 2022, E-ink Holdings launched E-ink Kaleido 3, offering 16 different levels of greyscales and 4096 colors for eReaders and eNote.
• September 2022, Molex LLC launched hybrid optical-electrical interconnects for co-packaged optics.