42 The PCB Magazine • May 2015
Optical Components Market Growth
Picking up Again in 2015
LightCounting's analysis shows that optical com-
ponents market has been growing at 8–12% per
year on average over the past five years, but slowed
during the second half of 2014. Recent reports
from leading suppliers indicate that market growth
picked up in Q1 2015, and LightCounting expects
that the market will reach a new record in Q2 2015.
Smart Grid Sensors Market to Hit
$350M in 2021
The market for smart grid sensors is set to rapidly
expand in the coming decade, with revenues grow-
ing nearly ten-fold, from 2014–2021, according to
IHS Inc. Based on information in a new study from
IHS Technology, the market for smart grid sensors
is centered in North America.
State of U.S. Manufacturing After
the Recession
Since the economic recovery started in 2009, the
U.S. manufacturing sector generally maintained a
12% share of GDP over the five years ending in
2013. The sector's performance was impressive
when compared with other major advanced coun-
tries that experienced similar declines and early re-
coveries in manufacturing production.
Flexible Batteries Market Attracts
New Investments
After years of slow progress from small compa-
nies, flexible batteries now have the attention of
big brands such as Apple, Samsung, LG Chemical,
Nokia and STMicroelectronics, who are set to drive
the flexible battery market from US$ 6.9 million in
2015 to over US$ 400 million in 2025 according
to IDTechEx.
Next-Gen Smart Lighting Systems
Revenues to Hit $1B by 2020
In a new report, "Smart Lighting Market Oppor-
tunities: Smart Bulbs and the Rise of Local Light-
ing Intelligence," NanoMarkets concludes that the
market for these new systems will reach just over
$1 billion by 2020.
Gartner Reveals Vertical Industry Trends
in SEA's Thriving Markets
"Some might argue that given recent political, fi-
nancial and climate challenges, Southeast Asia is a
risky proposition," said Venecia Liu, research vice
president at Gartner. "However, Gartner believes
that Southeast Asia's economic development and
growing consumer demand mean that its growth
potential outweighs the risk."
Flexible Display Market to Hit $30B by 2025
In the newly published "Flexible, Curved, and Bend-
able Display Technologies and Market Forecast
2015 Report," (Second Edition), Touch Display Re-
search analyzed more than 10 display technologies
and more than 14 applications of flexible displays,
and the report shows how the flexible display mar-
ket is accelerating.
Smart Wearable Healthcare Devices
Market to See Significant Growth
The Technavio report emphasizes the increased use
of smart wearable devices for tele-home healthcare.
Monitoring many patients in hospitals can be a te-
dious process because of the lack of adequate re-
sources. Smart wearable devices enhance treatment
and monitoring processes by saving time and re-
ducing healthcare costs.
IoT Data to Exceed 1.6ZB in 2020
A new report from ABI Research estimates that the
volume of data captured by IoT-connected devices
exceeded 200 exabytes in 2014. The annual total
is forecast to grow seven-fold by the decade's end,
surpassing 1,600 exabytes—or 1.6 zettabytes—in
2020.
Tech Transfer Provided $1.8T to US Economy
The report, "The Economic Contribution of Uni-
versity/Non-profit Inventions in the United States:
1996–2013," estimates that, during this 18-year
time period, academia-industry patent licensing
bolstered U.S. gross industry output by up to $1.18
trillion, U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) by up to
$518 billion, and supported up to 3,824,000 U.S.
jobs.
42 The PCB Magazine • May 2015
Electronics Industry News
Market Highlights
