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WELLESLEY, MA – The global market for printed electronics is expected to be worth $3.1 billion in 2008, and will increase to $8.8 billion by 2013, a CAGR of 23.2%, says BCC Research.

The market includes optoelectronics, radio frequency, energy, sensors and other applications. Optoelectronics applications dominate the market with a share of more than 85% in 2007 and 2008, but will decline to 69% in 2013. Optoelectronics generated $2.5 billion last year, an estimated $2.7 billion this year, and a projected $6.1 billion in 2013, for a CAGR of 18.1%, according to the research firm.

Sensors were the second largest segment in 2007, with $375 million in revenue, and should continue in second place through 2008, generating $423.5 million. Sensors are expected to lose market share during the next five years, declining from 13% of the market to 9.5%. Expected revenue in 2013 is $842.5 million, for a CAGR of 14.7%.

RF applications are expected to grow from $10 million last year to $18.4 million this year and $413 million in 2013, a CAGR of 86.3%.

The energy segment is the fastest growing segment and is expected to achieve a market share of 16.2% by 2013. Energy applications generated $9 million in 2007 and are expected to reach $18.1 million this year. This is expected to increase to $1.4 billion in 2013, for a CAGR of 139.5%, says BCC.

Other applications are expected to grow at a CAGR of 118.7%, from an estimated $1 million in 2008 to $50 million in 2013.

Currently, major end-uses of printed electronics include consumer products, advertising and medicine and health care/life sciences. End-user segments expected to gain significant market share during the next five years include building products and transport and logistics.

TAIWAN – ODM handset maker Arima Communications and EMS provider Elcoteq have temporarily set aside merger talks in favor of joining forces to produce low-cost handsets for LG Electronics, company sources told DigiTimes.

Merger talks for the past three years recently have hit a deadlock, with the two firms disagreeing over the scale of equity acquisition, DigiTimes reported.

Arima wished to acquire part of Elcoteq's assets to integrate its own ODM capability with Elcoteq's EMS strength in handset production; Elcoteq was more apt to sell its assets in a bundled deal, the sources told DigiTimes.

Under the new cooperation plan, Arima will switch its outsourcing of LG's low-cost handsets targeting the Latin American market from Flextronics to Elcoteq's plant in Brazil, with production volumes likely to reach several million units, according to DigiTimes' sources.

ALBANY, NY – IBM Corp. will invest $1.5 billion in Albany and will build a semiconductor plant somewhere in upstate New York.

The investment is expected to increase research jobs to 325 at the University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. The state government is providing $25 million for new semiconductor equipment at that site.

In addition, the company will construct a 120,000 sq. ft. semiconductor packaging center at a location to be determined. Albany NanoTech will own and manage the facility, which reportedly will create more than 675 jobs.

In total, the state will spend $140 million, with IBM investing more than $10 for every $1 that New York spends, say published reports.