According to the new technical market research report entitled "Printed Electronics: Materials, Applications and Markets," BCC Research projects the global market for printed electronics will be worth $8.8 billion by 2013, growing at a compound annual growth rate of 23.2% from its $3.1 billion value this year.
The study breaks the market down by the following applications: optoelectronics, radio frequency (RF), energy, sensors, and other applications. Optoelectronics dominates, with more than 85% share last year and this; its share will decline to 69% in 2013. Optoelectronics generated $2.5 billion last year, will generate $2.7 billion this year, and climb to $6.1 billion by 2013. That represents a CAGR of 18.1% over the next five years.
Sensors, the second largest segment last year and this with $375 million in 2007 and $423.5 million this year, is expected to grow in absolute terms but decline in market share over the next five years. Although it is expected to grow at 14.7% CAGR to $842.5 million in 2013, it will represent 9.5% of the market then compared to the 13% it represents now.
Energy will be the big market-share winner over the study period, growing at 139.5% CAGR from last year's $9 million, to this year's $18.1 million, to 2013's $1.4 billion. Five years from now it will account for 16.2% of the printed electronics market, according to the BCC study.
RF applications will also show impressive growth, from an even $10 million last year to $18.4 million this year and $13 million in 2013 an annual growth rate of 86.3%.
