Intelligent Wireless Microsystems: Emerging Applications and Markets

According to a new technical market research report, Intelligent Wireless Microsystems: Emerging Applications and Markets (IFT064A) from BCC Research, the global market for intelligent wireless microsystems (IWM) is expected to be worth $138 million in 2008. This is expected to increase to over $1.3 billion by 2013, a compound average annual growth rate (CAGR) of 56.4%.

The market is broken down into applications for beverage merchandising, chemicals manufacturing, electrical apparatus manufacturing, food manufacturing, special purpose machinery manufacturing, metal production, petroleum refining, plastics manufacturing, pulp and paper processing and transportation. Of these, special purpose machinery has the largest share of the market, valued at nearly $29 million in 2008. This segment is expected to be worth $580 million by 2013, a CAGR of 82.1%.

The second largest segment, chemical manufacturing, is worth an estimated $32 million in 2008 and will reach $287 million by 2013, a CAGR of 55.1%. The food manufacturing segment, worth $12 million in 2008, will be worth $88 million in 2013, a CAGR of 49%.

IWMs represent the first major advance in control systems technology of the 21st century. A disruptive rather than a sustaining technology, IWMs have begun to slowly make inroads in niches within the control systems sector. The 10 industries mentioned above have begun to pioneer the use of IWM.

These same industries will have significant requirements for IWM by 2013. Demand will improve slowly in 2008 and 2009 and then accelerate rapidly. By 2013, IWM devices will have established themselves as superior competitors to multi-parameter control systems in at least these 10 sectors of the economy, including most types of manufacturing.