Global MEMS Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Global MEMS Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The Global MEMS market is expected to register a CAGR of 8.7% during the forecast period. The rising popularity of IoT in semiconductors, growing requirement for smart consumer electronics and wearable devices, and enhanced adoption of automation in industries and homes are some significant factors influencing the growth of the MEMS market.

• Wearables constitute an essential step in the evolution of IoT and a new application domain for MEMS sensors. MEMS for such products are leveraging thin, flexible printed circuit boards for a better form factor. As standard form factors still use consumer MEMS devices, the pressure is building on MEMS vendors to reduce sensor package height and footprint further. This would make the end product have a better product look and feel, with added functionality.
• However, the industrial demand for IoT is expected to eclipse the consumer connected devices demand over the coming years, with the sheer number of connected devices requirements and adoption in the industrial space on the rise. By 2025, industrial-connected devices are expected to be more in number than consumer-connected devices, according to GSMA. In the automotive industry, which is presently experiencing a technology transition, a major focus is increasing passengers’ safety, comfort, and entertainment, using electronic components. This provides ample opportunities for MEMS pressure sensors. Over the forecast years, the automotive industry is expected to command a significant share of the demand for MEMS, owing to the increasing number of sensors incorporated in the vehicles.
• Additionally, MEMS plays a critical role in the field of automation industries. The reliability, sensitivity, and scalability, along with cost-effective design, have been offered by the MEMS technology. It supplies more opportunities in the field of automation. The industry relies on these technologies for higher throughput and production rates with less time. MEMS accelerometers and gyroscopes are ideal for use in various industrial automation applications. With their minute size, high reliability, and low power credentials, MEMS sensors can play a vital role in virtually any piece of industrial automation machinery.
• Moreover, MEMS in the chip industry has viewed immense growth as technology companies globally accelerated innovation in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for tiny devices is behind advances in the areas of electronics, thus, ranging from thermal imaging and faster point-of-care testing to microfluidics-based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tools and techniques to detect SARS-CoV-2.
• Further, the consumer market is anticipated to show a positive outlook due to radiofrequency (RF) MEMS via expanding 5G and sub-6 GHz band rollout.
• However, several MEMS companies have limited access to MEMS fabrication facilities for prototyping and device manufacturing. Additionally, several organizations expected to benefit from the MEMS technology currently do not have the needed capabilities and competencies to support MEMS fabrication, which directly impacts the standardization of fabrication.

• Owing to the cost-effective miniaturization feature of MEMS sensors, various sensors have been developed based on MEMS technology, such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, radiation and temperature sensors, and pressure and vibration sensors. These sensors are being integrated into various applications, and the automotive segment is expected to depict one of the highest adoption rates. Some of the significant applications in the automotive segment are vehicle stability enhancement systems, navigation systems, and airbag deployments.
• The increasing need for passenger and driver safety and security in automobiles is one of the major factors driving the market’s growth. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), every year, globally, road accidents result in the loss of human life of more than 1.55 million people, and around 50 million people get injured. MEMS sensors play a crucial role in improving the safety features of vehicles. Furthermore, they act as a significant catalyst for the growth of the market studied.
• Sensors and actuators are among the essential components of automotive electronic control systems. Hence, the need for control system function influences these sensors and actuators. With the advent and use cases of engine control systems, there is an increasing need for sensors on the input and exhaust sides of the engine. A manifold absolute pressure (MAP) and manifold air temperature (MAT) sensors are used to compute the density of air entering the engine.
• As the use cases of sensors continue to rise in automobile applications to support ADAS, infotainment, and autonomous driving systems, the demand for interface specifications is apparent and is expected to be critical for future demand. As ADAS applications continue to evolve and become complex, there has been an increased demand for effective methods to offer safety alerts and other relevant information to the driver.
• In April 2021, STMicroelectronics announced the launch of its next-generation MEMS accelerometer for high-performance automotive applications. The company’s AIS2IH three-axis linear accelerometer will offer enhanced resolution, temperature stability, and mechanical robustness to the non-safety automotive applications that include anti-theft, telematics, tilt/inclination measurement, infotainment, and vehicle navigation.
• Various other benefits of MEMS in the automotive sector include the use of MEMS for HUD systems in ADAS. This helps in reducing driver distraction while improving safety. Additionally, it can display valuable information and alerts in real-time. Moreover, the technology finds its application in automotive LBS HUD systems in embedded and aftermarket products. Hence, with an increase in the production of ADAS, the use of MEMS sensors in the automotive industry is expected to increase.
• Moreover, the increase in the adoption and popularity of autonomous and electric/hybrid vehicles are augmenting the market’s growth. MEMS sensors provide chassis and safety and powertrain applications. Moreover, they offer features like propulsion, navigation, and control functions. Hence, the increase in the adoption of autonomous vehicles or electric cars across the world may further augment the growth of the MEMS market.

• Asian countries, such as China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, significantly contribute to process control and product manufacturing. Moreover, it is home to prominent market vendors and contracts fabrications companies (fabs), such as TSMC. In addition, supportive government regulations for passenger safety, industrial automation, environment monitoring, etc., also make Asia-Pacific substantial buyers of MEMS sensors.
• The Japanese government has developed a foundation for future growth by accelerating its digital policy and plan and Society 5.0 vision. Such efforts also create growth opportunities for the market for MEMS in the country. Also, there has been tremendous growth in autonomous vehicles in Japan, with Honda recently getting permission to launch its autonomous cars for roads. The increase in the autonomous vehicles fleet is also leading to the growth of the MEMS market.
• China is investing heavily in building a MEMS supply chain as part of its Made in China 2025 initiative. The three-year action plan for the development and the policy aspect of Made In China creates a robust growth in sensors from crucial technology, R&D, and applications. In terms of technology, the policy focuses on supporting the R&D of critical technologies such as sensors, MEMS, new material sensors, skin micro-electromechanical systems, and others.
• China, Japan, and South Korea's senior population are expected to increase the demand for healthcare services over the forecast period, thus, providing opportunities for devices, such as ventilators, inhalers, dialysis, and blood pressure monitoring devices, which constitute the MEMS market. Japan and South Korea, which are among the countries having high healthcare expenditure, also pose significant scope for the market. In addition, the Chinese government's "Healthy China 2030 Plan" healthcare plan aims to provide essential health services to every citizen by 2030.
• Further, strong demand for smartphones and other consumer electronics devices from countries such as China, India, Singapore, and Japan, encourages many vendors to set up production establishments in the region. In addition, the ample availability of raw materials and the low establishment and labor costs have also assisted companies in launching their production centers in the region. The penetration of mobile internet users in the region is further propelling the growth of connected devices, leading to MEMS growth opportunities. According to GSMA, mobile internet penetration in the region is expected to reach 61% in 2025 from 48% in 2019. In 2019, there were about 2 billion users in the Asia-Pacific region.

The MEMS market is highly competitive and is currently dominated by a few players in the Asia-Pacific, followed by those in the Americas and Europe. The global market is expected to be consolidated in nature, and the major players with a prominent share in the market are focusing on expanding their customer base across foreign countries by leveraging on strategic collaborative initiatives to increase their market share and their profitability. Broadcom Inc., Robert Bosch GmBH, STMicroelectronics N.V., Texas Instruments Inc., Qorvo Inc., among others, are some of the major players present in the current market.

• April 2022 - Bosch Sensortec announced its plans to acquire Arioso Systems, a spin-off from the Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems (IPMS), developing and commercializing MEMS micro speakers for wireless in-ear devices. The pending acquisition remains subject to approval from the antitrust authorities. The acquisition of Arioso Systems would further enlarge Bosch's sensing solutions expertise for consumer electronics in the field of micro speakers and makes it even more diversified.
• February 2022 - STMicroelectronics, a global semiconductor player serving customers across diverse electronics applications and a top manufacturer of micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS), introduced its third generation of MEMS sensors. The sensors enable the next leap in performance and features for consumer mobiles & smart industries, healthcare, and retail. The new sensors are claimed to deliver high accuracy for product features like indoor navigation, activity detection, and precision industrial sensing. Simultaneously, they keep battery demand low for longer runtimes. Additional features to be included in selected variants include ST’s machine-learning core (MLC) and electrostatic sensing.
• April 2021 - Knowles Electronics launched a new line of Automotive-Grade MEMS microphones, including SPH1878 and SPH9855. These are engineered to a higher standard of quality and supply assurance to support the increasing demands of the automotive market. The microphones follow the AEC-Q100/103 qualification requirements set by the Automotive Electronics Council.

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support