Demand for MEMS will rise

Consumer electronics and wireless applications will drive demand for microelectromechanical systems

By Jim Carbone -- Purchasing, 8/27/2008 11:42:00 AM

Don’t be surprised if more microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) appear on bills of materials. The MEMS market will grow from about $6.1 billion in 2006 to $8.8 billion in 2012, according to researcher iSuppli.

Four main segments are driving demand for MEMS products: consumer electronics, mobile handsets, automotive and industrial process control. These segments account for slightly more than 60% of total MEMS market revenue in 2012. MEMS products include inkjet printer heads, accelerometers, oscillators, gyroscopes, microphones and pressure sensors among others.

Aside from the consumer and wireless applications, market pull is being exerted by the automotive sector, an established area set to receive new impetus as a result of mandates for safety and new emissions standards.

Demand also will be driven by a diverse range of applications in industrial processing and control. "The consumer electronics and mobile communications fields are much more dynamic than the previous mainstay markets for MEMS, inkjet heads, diverse industrial applications and automotive uses,” says Jérémie Bouchaud, director and principal analyst, MEMS, for iSuppli. "Existing companies have a great opportunity to ride this wave and new players have a chance to address a relatively open market.”

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