However, growth depends on improvements in materials and printing technology.

Over the past 12 to 24 months, printable electronics materials – particularly plastic organic light-emitting displays (OLEDs) – have shown improved efficiency and stability. Yet organic systems for replacing memory chips aren’t demonstrating the same gains, the firm said.

Robust and cost-effective high-volume manufacturing equipment remains a major inhibitor to adoption.

Applications that will use printable electronics and materials include organic ICs, display technology, RFID and Smart Active Labels (SAL) for packaging, antennae, batteries and photovoltaics. Cost is the key driver to all of these markets, BPA said.