As part of our market intelligence and insight into key technology-related markets for gold, the World Gold Council has worked with partners on specific market focused research publications. This research has included:
New publication describing the World Gold Council’s support of emerging gold based technologies
Recent years have seen the emergence of many exciting potential applications for gold. The World Gold Council supports the development of these innovations, giving them the best chance of evolving into successful commercial applications which will ultimately benefit society. We are playing a pivotal role in the transition from ‘lab’ to ‘market’ by investing in a range of technology development activities in the fields of medical applications, environmental control and renewable energy. This report, entitled Gold: The hidden element in innovation gives a few examples of how the World Gold Council goes about supporting these important innovations on the way to commercialisation. A brief video presentation is also available as an introduction to the article.
Global study of the semiconductor industry preferences for bonding wire
This was the first global study of the semiconductor industry into views of the use of gold wire versus copper wire in semiconductor packaging, published by SEMI on behalf of the World Gold Council.
Semiconductor manufacturers are seeking the most cost effective solution for components and design. As a result, minimising the quantity of precious metals used in electronic devices is an ongoing trend. Some manufacturers are seeking the widespread replacement of gold with cheaper metals like copper, particularly for lower-end products where reliability is less of an issue.
The key finding of the report is that the semiconductor industry has serious reservations about the reliability and yield of copper wire compared to gold.
White paper detailing how gold is at the forefront of the nanotechnology revolution
In 2010 we published ‘Gold for Good: Gold and nanotechnology in the age of innovation’, a research paper detailing new scientific and technological innovations using gold. The report, which was produced in conjunction with Cientifica Ltd, the world's leading source of global business and investor intelligence about nanotechnologies, demonstrates how gold nanoparticles offer the potential to overcome many of the serious issues facing mankind over the coming decades.
Gold nanoparticles exhibit a variety of unique properties which, when harnessed and manipulated effectively, lead to materials with potentially far-ranging and cost effective properties. This report explores the many applications that are being developed across the fields of health, environment and technology.
