Why you are only just hearing about printed electronics now.

Why you are only just hearing about printed electronics now? Printed Electronics is an industry that has been around for decades. While traditionally, printed electronic covers the industrial graphic products sector, comprising of membrane switches, capacitive switches, HMI panels, decals and overlays, printed electronics are ever evolving.

These products are still very integral to a lot of product developments, from retail consumer items to industrial manufacturing equipment, to more bespoke technologies that are still emerging. The printed electronics industry, as critical as it is to product development and the Australian economy is often left out of mainstream media and overlooked.

However, this industry has undergone mass development and pivoted from control panels to cutting edge flexible electronics. To be more specific, the family of printed electronics also includes thin, flexible sensor technology that has the perfect design aspects to be integrated into IoT products, wearable technology, medical devices and much more. This is an industry that has been projected to grow from $41.2 Billion in 2020 to $74 Billion in 2030. The demand for this technology is here and now.

A recent article published in the Australians Women’s Health Magazine, September 2021 edition touches on a new concept to enter the sports health market, titled “The Intuitive Shoe”. This technology loaded shoe utilises form-tracking sensors connected into the shoes of runners at any skill level. The purpose of this tracking is to ensure your shoes provide the correct support needed on your run through gait analysis. This sensor technology will record your data while on your runs and can then provide feedback on performance, stride and how your foot strikes the ground. Many big brand names like Under Armour and Adidas are venturing into this new technology, ultimately revolutionising the everyday runner’s shoe. This latest trend in sports technology industry lays way for printed electronics to dominate and further prove the limitless applications flexible printed electronics can have in the everyday lives of consumers.