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Technology Tracking is a unique programme of special reports that provides strategic insights into the emerging technologies that could generate new revenue streams and sustainable growth opportunities for your organization. Each report brings together in-depth analysis of the latest technical advances and their commercial applications - essential information for making informed decisions about the technology options that will shape your future business development.

Technology Tracking is the result of a compelling partnership between QinetiQ, Europe's largest science and technology organization, and the Institute of Physics Publishing. Institute of Physics Publishing is one of the world's pre-eminent science and technology publishers and an integral part of the Institute of Physics, an international professional body and learned society with more than 37,000 members worldwide.

Current reports

LED Quarterly Insights Series II

Publication date: 2006/2007

Following the success of the first series of LED Quarterly Insights, we are pleased to introduce a new set of four reports providing regular, incisive analysis of the crucial technology innovations and commercial opportunities in the highly dynamic LED industry. Delivered once a quarter, each edition of LED Quarterly Insights delivers informed commentary on one of the key challenges facing the LED community. Key focus areas for Series II will be high-power LEDs, organic LEDs, LED light engines and cost reduction in LED design and manufacture.

LED Quarterly Insights Series I

Publication date: 2005/2006

The original LED Quarterly Insights series provides in-depth analysis of the technical and commercial challenges in the following key areas: high-power LEDs, standards & performance, white LEDs, and packaging & optics. This series is now available at a reduced rate of £495.

Emerging Markets for GaN Electronics

Publication date: January 2006
Authors: Produced in collaboration with Compound Semiconductor

Electronic devices based on gallium nitride promise to deliver unrivalled power and thermal performance for RF applications. While the military and space sectors already see the value in exploiting the technology, more widespread adoption of GaN devices depends on whether manufacturers can produce high-performance devices at low cost. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges facing GaN device makers as they seek to develop commercial products than can compete effectively with existing RF technologies.

Nanomaterials for Next-Generation Energy Sources

Publication date: May 2005
Authors: Produced in collaboration with Mike Pitkethly of QinetiQ Nanomaterials

Materials structured on the nanoscale are becoming a critical tool in the development of sustainable, affordable and high-efficiency energy sources. Such nanostructured materials display a range of remarkable properties, ranging from heightened chemical activity through to better charge-storage capabilities and modified electro-optical performance, which are now being harnessed in alternative energy systems such as fuel cells, photovoltaics, hydrogen-storage systems, supercapacitors and improved rechargeable batteries. As investment grows from both private enterprise and government agencies, this report explores how companies with innovative materials technologies could achieve real success in the rapidly evolving energy sector.

Commercial Applications for Millimeter-Wave MMICs

Publication date: January 2005
Authors: Dr Jeff Powell and Dave Bannister, QinetiQ

Monolithic microwave integrated circuits (MMICs) operating at 1--2 GHz have become the fundamental building blocks for mobile communications systems, but continuing price pressures and the threat of declining revenues are forcing MMIC suppliers to seek out new markets for their products. Extending MMIC technology to millimeter-wave frequencies has emerged as a crucial strategy for suppliers to achieve better profit margins and to drive future business growth. This report examines the commercial and technical challenges facing researchers, designers and manufacturers as they seek to deliver millimeter-wave solutions that deliver the right performance at the right price.

Special discount: Order the report today for just £595/$995/€795 while stocks last.

Industrial and Medical Applications of Adaptive Optics

Publication date: February 2004
Authors: Professor Alan Greenaway, Heriot-Watt University, and Dr James Burnett, QinetiQ

Adaptive optics technology - which removes the optical distortions in light waves to produce clearer, sharper images - has been exploited for many years in the astronomy and military communities, but now the commercial sector is starting to explore its potential in a range of industrial and medical applications. The next five years will go a long way to determining whether adaptive optics will become a low-cost, user-friendly technology with credible and sustainable growth prospects.

Stock clearance sale: Order the report on CD-ROM for just £249/$449/€365 while stocks last.

Biomedical MEMS: Clinical Applications of Silicon Technology

Author: Professor Leigh Canham, pSiMedica and QinetiQ
Publication date: Spring 2003

This report focuses on the biomedical applications of silicon-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) that require either implantation in the human body or involve in vivo medical treatment. It provides an exhaustive overview of silicon bioMEMS as an enabling technology, while also providing a detailed analysis of state-of-the-art silicon MEMS manufacturing, the market prospects for bioMEMS devices, and the remaining barriers to commercialization.

Stock clearance sale: Order a hard copy of the report for just £499/$899/€715 while stocks last.

Smart Optical Materials

Author: Professor Keith Lewis, QinetiQ
Publication date: Summer 2001

The report presents a wide-ranging review of developments in smart optical materials (SOMs). A detailed analysis of technical and market drivers is presented for seven types of SOMs: acousto-optics, electrochromics, electro-optics, magneto-optics, nonlinear materials, organic light emitters, and phase-change materials. Key application areas are considered in automotive, consumer products, defence, environmental protection, health care, industrial process control, optical data storage and telecommunications.