Smart Packaging Market to Reach $4.8 billion by 2011

Nanomarkets The global smart packaging market will grow to $4.8 billion in 2011 and reach $14.1 billion in 2013.

Printable electronics enables smarter packaging. The arrival of a broad range of printable electronics technologies are making smarter packaging possible. Only printing can deliver sophisticated electronic capabilities to packaging at a price that makes next generation economically viable. Among the printable devices that will be used in packaging to make products healthier, more secure, longer lasting, easier to use and more aesthetically appealing are RFIDs, OLED displays and light, sensors, thin film batteries and photovoltaics. Smart packaging will account for over $1.1 billion in printable electronics components by 2011 growing to $4.2 billion in 2013 according to NanoMarkets researchers.

A sizeable market for RFIDs. Smart packaging will also consume $1.1 billion in printable and chip-based RFID tags by 2011 and they will be used in many different kinds of smart packaging including everything from time temperature indicators for the pharmaceutical industry, through various smart packaging systems based on smart labels, to packages used to ship military supplies overseas. However, critical to this success will be printable electronics making good on its promise to deliver an RFID tag for around one cent or so. For this to happen there must significant improvements in the ability of printing machines to create RFIDs in high volume and print them on a wide variety of substrates.

New power sources enabling smart packaging. In the past, the evolution of smart packaging has been hampered by the lack of small low-cost power sources. NanoMarkets claims that help is coming from three sources: piezoelectric materials, organic photovoltaics and thin film batteries. As these technologies mature and fall in price, the power will be there to drive lights, sensors, displays and active RFIDs in the latest generation of smart packaging technology.

Smart packaging needs smart materials. NanoMarkets believes that in the future, smart materials will have an important impact on smart packaging technology. Among the potential opportunities are using thermochromic inks to show when an optimal (or dangerous) temperature has been reached, shape memory alloys to control the opening and closing of packages depending on environmental conditions, piezoelectric materials to provide power for lighting and audio features on packaging, and smart adhesives that can be used in conjunction with smart labels to ensure freshness through color changes.

Smarter packaging means fewer fakes. The International Chamber of Commerce estimates that in 2003, counterfeit goods worldwide accounted for eight percent of the total world trade. But NanoMarkets believes this is a tremendous opportunity for smart packaging, noting that a combination of RFID authentication at point of sale, security inks and other smart packaging approaches will make a major contribution to combating counterfeiting, especially in the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors.

RFID? Wikipedia Red Viking

Smart Packaging Markets; 2006-2013 Publ 20060420