Gains will be driven by increased market penetration of existing materials -- such as nanotubes,
nanoclays and quantum dots -- and ongoing development of new materials and applications.
World demand to reach
$5.5 billion in 2016
World demand for nanomaterials will rise
more than two-and-a-half times to $5.5
billion in 2016 driven by a combination of
increased market penetration of existing
materials, and ongoing development of
new materials and applications. Nanotubes,
along with other materials such as
nanoclays and quantum dots, will grow
at the fastest pace.
China, India to see most
rapidly growing demand
The high-value nature of nanomaterials
has concentrated demand in wealthier
countries where the majority of research
and development occurs, and where
many companies continue to manufacture
their most technologically advanced
products due to concerns about intellectual
property rights in developing countries.
Through 2016, however, the fastest
growth in nanomaterial demand will be in
China and India as these countries gain
a greater share of global research and
development spending, and as large
multinational corporations become
increasingly comfortable allowing their
most advanced products to be made in
these manufacturing powerhouses.
Energy, construction to be
fastest growing markets
The energy storage and generation
market and the construction market will
expand at the fastest paces through
2016. However, this primarily reflects the
limited historical penetration of nanomaterials
in these markets. As prices
continue to fall and material properties
continue to improve, both markets will
offer significant opportunities for expansion.
Growth in the electronics market, in
contrast, while still robust, will trail all
other markets. The electronics sector
was one of the first to experience
significant penetration of nanomaterials,
and consequently demand in this market
is already quite high. The long term
outlook for nanomaterial demand in
electronics remains quite bright, though.
It will benefit as the semiconductor
industry confronts the limits of dimension
scaling on silicon by the development
and use of new materials such as
graphene in semiconductor chip design.
The largest market in 2011 was the
health care market, due primarily to the
use of nanocrystalline active pharmaceutical
intermediates to improve bioavailability
and system uptake. Significant
opportunities remain as many pharmaceuticals
still have not been converted
into a nanocrystalline form, and the use
of nanocomposites to produce advanced
medical devices remains in its infancy.
Significant opportunities for market
expansion will also exist in many smaller
markets such as aerospace and defense,
packaging, personal care products,
and sports equipment. However, a
potential restraining factor in many of
these markets will be growing concern
about the environmental impact and
toxicity of nanomaterials.
Study Scope
This study analyzes the $2 billion world nanomaterial industry. It presents historical demand data for the years 2001, 2006 and 2011, and forecasts for 2016 and 2021 by material (e.g., metal oxides, chemicals and polymers, metals, nanotubes), market (e.g., health care, electronics, energy generation and storage, construction), world region and for 15 countries.
The study also considers market environment factors, details industry structure, evaluates company market shares and profiles 119 industry players, including Arkema, BASF and Bayer.
