The market for thin and flexible batteries is to increase to over $300m globally by 2024, according to a study by IDTechEx.
The report “Flexible, Printed and Thin Film Batteries 2015-2025” forecasts that the form factor for electronic devices will be a driver for market transformation and new market categories, changing the market and technology landscape.
According to the study, lithium phosphorous oxynitride-based (LiPON) thin lithium batteries will account for the lion’s share, followed by curved lithium-ion batteries, printed zinc-based batteries, thin flexible supercapacitors and thin film lithium polymer batteries.
Wearable electronic devices and the interconnection of computing devices within the Internet infrastructure (Internet of Things), demanding thinness and flexibility, will lead to cost reduction and energy density increase.
The business landscape will change from small companies with niche applications to big companies focusing on own technologies and seeking for partnerships to create a portfolio of products.
The study covers end use applications such as battery assisted-passive RFID, smart cards, medical devices, backup power and energy harvesting.
The healthcare sector will expand and become more important for zinc-based batteries and thin lithium batteries. Wireless sensors/networks applications will combine energy harvesting with thin batteries with superior form factors and smart cards will be attractive for several thin film technologies.
The complete study can be downloaded here: http://www.idtechex.com/research/reports/flexible-printed-and-thin-film-batteries-2015-2025-000410.asp
