Market Insights
The quantum dots technology is poised to witness growing adoption, especially in the consumer segment (display and lighting). The anticipated growth can be attributed to escalating demand for energy-efficient lighting solutions and display panels. In addition, the miniaturization property of quantum dots has enabled them to find applications in different domains, including healthcare, consumer, industrial, defense and surveillance, and energy, among others. These factors are expected to contribute toward a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 51.3% during the forecast period 2015 – 2022. However, OEMs across the globe have made investments in competing technologies such as LEDs and OLEDs and are somewhat reluctant to invest further in another technology before earning profits. The quantum dots market is expected to cross US$ 8.0 Bn by 2022, expanding at a CAGR of 51.3% during the forecast period from 2015 to 2022.
Purpose of the Report
The purpose of this strategic research study titled “Global Quantum Dots (QD) Market- Growth, Share, Opportunities, and Competitive Analysis, 2015 – 2022” is to offer industry investors, company executives, and industry participants in-depth insights to enable them to make informed strategic decisions related to the opportunities in the global semiconductor industry.
Target Audience
- Industry Investors
- Raw Material Suppliers
- Quantum Dots Manufacturers
- QD-based Product Manufacturers
- End-users
- USP and Key Offerings
The report titled “Global Quantum Dots (QD) Market- Growth, Share, Opportunities, and Competitive Analysis, 2015 – 2022” offers strategic insights into the global quantum dots market along with the market size and estimates for the duration of 2013 to 2022. The said research study covers an in-depth analysis of multiple market segments based on product type, applications, and cross-sectional study across different geographies. The research study helps better analyze the quantum dots market by highlighting competitive insights across different participants involved in the value chain. To help strategic decision makers, the report also includes competitive profiling of the leading quantum dots manufacturers, their SCOT (Strength, Challenges, Opportunities, and Weaknesses) analysis, market positioning, and key developments.
Other in-depth analysis provided in the report includes:
- Current and future market trends to justify the forthcoming attractive markets within the quantum dots (QD) market
- Market fuelers, market impediments, and their impact on the market growth
- In-depth competitive environment analysis
- Value Chain Analysis
- Two Year Trailing Data (2013 – 2014)
- SRC (Segment-Region-Country) Analysis
Based on products that employ quantum dots (QD) technology, the global quantum dots (QD) market is segmented into the following categories
- QD Medical Devices
- QD Display
- QD Lighting
- QD Lasers
- QD Solar Cells
- Others (QD Sensors, etc.)
Increased penetration of the quantum dots technology in the healthcare and life science sector has ensured the second highest revenue share for the QD medical device segment. In the base year of 2014, QD medical devices accounted for over one-tenth of the global market revenue. The QD medical device segment is anticipated to witness regulated demand over the forecast period, with the nanoparticles presenting healthy growth opportunities in multiple healthcare fields, including drug delivery, cell tracking, and bio-medical imaging. Over 2015 – 2012, QD displays and QD lasers are poised to witness robust growth. The growth in the QD laser segment can be attributed to the advancements in optical communication technologies. On the other hand, the adoption of QD-based displays is anticipated to witness an upsurge in the downstream markets, including TVs, personal computers, smartphones, and tablet PCs, among others. This is mainly because of the superior benefits offered in terms of energy efficiency and color performance compared to conventional liquid crystalline display (LCD) panels.
Based on end-use application, the quantum dots (QD) market is categorized into the following segments:
- Healthcare (Flow Cytometry, Drug Delivery, In-vivo Imaging, In-vitro Imaging, and Photodynamic Therapy, among others)
- Consumer (QD Displays, QD Lighting, etc.)
- Industrial (Semiconductors, Optoelectronics, etc.)
- Energy
- Defense and Surveillance
The healthcare application segment, including quantum dots technology for drug delivery, in-vivo imaging, in-vitro imaging, photodynamic therapy, and flow cytometry, was the second largest contributor to the global quantum dots market in 2014. The introduction of cadmium-less quantum dots has solved concerns related to the biocompatibility of quantum dots, thus creating the regulated demand from the healthcare segment. The trend is expected to continue throughout the forecast period 2015 – 2022. The consumer (covering QD displays, QD lighting, etc.) and industrial segments (covering optoelectronics and semiconductor) are expected to exhibit robust growth over 2015 – 2022. The anticipated growth in the consumer segment can be attributed to the growing penetration of quantum dots technology in the display segment. The ongoing research and investments in the development of quantum dots technology are expected to trigger commercial launches of QD displays in the coming years.
Quantum dots are semiconducting nanocrystals. Unlike other mass semiconductors (macroscopic), quantum dots are extremely minute, on the order of a few nanometers. They are nearly zero-dimensional. Although the term “quantum dots” was coined in 1988 by Mark Reed, the quantum dots were first discovered by Alexey Ekimov in a glass matrix (1981) and by Louis E. Brus in colloidal solutions (1985). Using quantum dots as a light source gained momentum in the 1990s. Early applications of quantum dots were in the field of imaging, using QD-based LEDs, infrared photodetectors, and single-color light-emitting devices. Since then (The early 2000s), scientists across the globe have realized the potential of using quantum dots technology in displays and light sources. The evolution of quantum dots technology began with the advancements in nanotechnology. The following figure represents the roadmap of the quantum dots technology since its introduction.
Although quantum dots have been in use since the 1980s, the development and penetration of the technology have remained fairly sluggish. The technology failed to gather momentum owing to the complex synthesis process, which requires it to be carried out under an inert atmosphere of argon and at a high temperature. This complex process does not allow the manufacturing process to be easily scaled-up. In addition, before the introduction of cadmium-free quantum dots recently, most of the quantum dots available were cadmium based. Cadmium is a toxic element that is banned in consumer products in Japan, European Union countries, and other countries across the globe. This further limited the penetration of the quantum dots technology.
Substitute Technologies and Competition:
Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED) is currently the major competing technology for quantum dots. The leading original equipment manufacturers, such as Samsung Electronics, Co., Ltd., have invested big amounts in the budding OLED technology. However, Samsung and other OEMs who have invested in OLED and other competing technologies are unwilling to invest in new technology before earning returns from the already invested technology. As a result, although the quantum dots technology is poised to penetrate the backlighting television segment by 2016, large display products using the quantum dot technology (QLED) will need at least two to three years to commercialize completely. As such, the quantum dots technology is expected to face stiff competition from OLED technology, especially in the display and lighting segment.
Future Opportunity:
Renewable energy is one of the promising fields offering healthy growth opportunities for the quantum dots market. In the case of solar energy, solar cells using quantum dots can absorb a large continuum of the available sunlight, making quantum dots an ideal technology for advanced next-generation solar cells. Few manufacturers have also developed solar inks using quantum dots. They are working on developing quantum dot-based paint, which, when applied to the floor, walls, or panels, will absorb the available sunlight and generate solar energy.
Based on geography, the global quantum dots (QD) market is segmented into the following regions and countries.
- North America
- Europe
- Germany
- France
- Italy
- U.K.
- Russia
- Rest of Europe
- Asia-Pacific
- India
- China
- Japan
- Rest of Asia-Pacific
- Latin America
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Rest of Latin America
- Middle East and Africa
- GCC Countries
- South Africa
- Rest of Middle East and Africa
As of 2014, the global quantum dots (QD) market was dominated by North America (comprising the U.S. and the Rest of North America), accounting for over one-third of the market revenue. The dominance can be attributed to the heavy research carried out in nanotechnology. The U.S. represents the largest individual quantum dots (QD) market worldwide. The region is characterized by a large base of quantum dots manufacturers and is the front runner in quantum dots-related research. Over 2015 – 2022, North America is expected to remain the largest quantum dots (QD) market. However, Asia Pacific is expected to witness maximum growth, outpacing North America and Europe at a CAGR of 53.5% from 2015 to 2022. The anticipated growth in the region is expected to be driven by the perpetually increasing demand from the healthcare and consumer market over the forecast period 2015 – 2022.
