New market for silver could be worth $1.2B in electronics sector
A study being released by an advanced materials analysis firm has found that new fast growth, marketing opportunities are opening for silver powders and silver inks in the printable electronics industry.
Author: Dorothy Kosich Posted: Wednesday, 30 May 2007
RENO, NV - A Virginia-based advanced materials analysis firm predicts that the market for silver conductive inks for the printable electronics will grow to US$1.2 billion by 2014.
In the report, "Silver powders and Inks for Printable Electronics: 2007-2014," industry analyst firm NanoMarkets said the electronics industry already consumes 109 million ounces of silver yearly in a market worth $1.4 billion based on silver prices over $13/oz.
However, because there are currently a limited number of functions that silver can serve in printed electronics (PE), all of the firms currently supplying silver conductive inks are pursuing one or more of a handful of product strategies.
These strategies include: designing inks that meet the need of specific printing technology or application (Radio Frequency Identification - RFID tags); lowering the cost of processing of silver inks used in conventional printing; implementing the printing of very fine silver lines in some graphics applications; mixing silver with other metals to change the functionality of silver inks while maintaining its high conductivity ability; using nanoparticles as the basis for silver conductive inks; and whether firms now manufacturing silver powders should also produce silver inks.
The report, which builds upon NanoMarkets' ongoing coverage of the printable electronics application and materials, discusses the strategies of leading suppliers and technology developers. These include Advanced Nano Products, Cabot, Cima NanoTech, Creative Materials, DuPont, Ferro, Five Star Technologies, Harima Chemical, NanoDynamics, NanoGram NanoMas, National Starch (Acheson and Xink), NovaCentrix, Parelec, PChem and Sun Chemical.
The highest-profile current application of silver inks is probably printing the antennas for RFID tags. Many traditional materials and specialty chemicals firms, such as DuPont, have been supplying silver inks to the traditional electronic materials industry for several years. However, the silver ink business from be moving from being a fairly specialist electronics materials business to be a key to the new industry of printed electronics, according to NanoMarkets.
"There are now a handful or so of smaller firms that now see a fast growth, venture capital-style business opportunity in silver inks," according to the report.
NanoMarkets noted that "there are likely to be numerous applications throughout the PE industry as it begins to grow. Indeed, silver links may be seldom mentioned but often used; their use being assume because of the excellent conductive properties of silver."
"Asia is playing a distinct role in the silver links business," NanoMarkets asserted. ‘The consumer electronics firms that serve as a substantial market for silver inks are mostly located in Asia."
"Chinese nanotech firms, in particular, have specifically targeted materials (rather than nano-device) opportunities and, as such may well see selling nanosilver links into the PE sector as an opportunity in the future."
NanoMarkets will be hosting a teleconference on Wednesday, June 13, to discuss its findings. For further information about the silver powders and inks report, go to http://www.nanotopblog.com/ or http://www.nanomarkets.net/
>>>Novartis Pension Funds to invest 4 pct in metals
Just imagine if that became the norm. Heck, I'm prepared to assume that it will.<<<
Hi Jack, Fwiw, I have no doubts that your assumption will become prescient in the coming years.... and not just from pension funds, but from wherever fiat currency is being pooled.
Posted On: Thursday, May 31, 2007, 4:02:00 PM EST
Sovereign Wealth Funds to Boost Commodities Demand?
Author: Monty Guild
SOVEREIGN WEALTH FUNDS ARE CHANGING THE INVESTMENT LANDSCAPE AND MAY PUSH GOOD STOCKS AND COMMODITIES WHICH ARE IN DEMAND TO MUCH HIGHER LEVELS
What are sovereign wealth funds? They are the assets of sovereign countries that have been earned. Instead of holding them in government bonds as they once did, countries are investing part of the money in stocks and commodities on a global basis.
The Saturday, May 26 Financial Times devoted a large section to an issue I have mentioned several times: the 2.5 trillion dollars of sovereign wealth funds from China, Norway, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and many other countries (about 16 in all) that is to be invested globally. In addition, there is probably twice that much money sitting in these countries’ reserves that has not yet been earmarked for global stock, bond and real estate investing.
Let me put it another way. These countries and others as well will use their capital to invest in stocks, bonds and commodities. Gone are the days when they would just buy government bonds with this type of money. Now they are putting it where it will earn better returns.
THE MAJOR INFLUENCES OF THIS NEW TREND
Countries that have to sell bonds to finance budget deficits will have to raise interest rates to get their bonds sold.
Countries that can grow will attract these assets to their financial markets.
The commodities that will be needed to fuel this growth will also benefit. For example, it takes little imagination to realize that base metals and energy will be purchased. Suppose we are China and we know that we will be using a lot of energy and base metals to develop our economy over the next fifty years. Why not buy the stocks that will produce these things? Since we will be making them profitable, why not participate in the profits?
Richer people in the developing world and richer central banks in the developing world will hedge their currency assets against losses in depreciating currencies by holding precious metals. Demand for precious metals will continue to rise.
This gigantic pool of capital will change the way investing is done for years to come. It will be a lever to substantially raise the value of the growing stock markets of the world. It will also be used to raise the value of the commodities that will be in demand such as energy, base metals and precious metals.
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