If you’re looking
for one segment of the auto supplier industry that isn’t in trouble, look no further than the automotive sensor
business.
Research firm Strategy Analytics predicts the automotive sensor market will pass the $10 billion
mark in 2006, at an annual growth rate of 11 percent. Going forward, the market will continue to grow, both in response
to environmental and safety legislation, and in support of new electronics systems for performance, comfort and
convenience.
The biggest growth will be in silicon-based sensors for electronic systems, such as optical
sensors for lane departure systems, and active radar sensors for intelligent cruise control and blind-spot warning
systems.
We would expect the sensor market to be just the tip of an electronics iceberg for the car
industry, as OEMs and suppliers integrate the sensors into new systems, driven by more complex software.