Autonomous driving, 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), data centers, power applications, and new high-speed digital standards are the growth engines of the electronic test and measurement (T&M) equipment market for the next five years. The next wave of growth has begun with the technologies making their way down the product lifecycle, from research and development to manufacturing and deployment. Greater complexity and technology convergence will spur demand across verticals, with the largest opportunities coming from communications, semiconductors and computing industries, and the fastest growth in industrial and automotive verticals. Market winners will be those able to meet the demand while addressing the specific requirements of applications.  

“Greater complexity in end-user technologies calls for an increased cost of test. However, with RF proliferation in consumer devices, there is the notion that the cost of test equipment should follow that trend,” said Jessy Cavazos, Industry Director for Test & Measurement at Frost & Sullivan. “It will be vital for market participants to come up with a new approach to test in the coming years as the traditional approach is not sustainable from cost and technical perspectives.” 

Frost & Sullivan’s recent analysis, Global Electronic Test and Measurement, Forecast to 2022, provides a comprehensive analysis of trends, perspectives, and market forecasts. With the smart mobility concept and new cellular and Wi-Fi standards, including 4.5G, 4.9G, 5G and 802.11ax, the demand for RF test equipment will be high, while that of digital test equipment will be fueled by new standards such as PCIe5 and CCIX.

A few of the key growth areas identified by Frost & Sullivan experts include:

• Autonomous Driving: These technologies call for innovative measurements and test approaches to address needs through automation and other means as well as provide complete systems that cover electrical, mechanical and software aspects.
• 5G: Technical complexity with 5G has grown exponentially, with engineers requiring flexible and easily upgradable solutions. Therefore, vendors need to work with technology leaders early in the research stage to acquire the knowledge necessary to support customers in the next stages of the technology lifecycle.
• Power applications: Design engineers for power supplies and power sequencing applications need deeper insight into their designs for maximum energy efficiency. Test vendors should focus on solutions that have better noise performance, are more precise, and can catch fast, small and unpredictable signals.

“The automotive industry, 5G, power applications, high-speed digital standards, and power applications will provide significant growth opportunities for participants over the next five years,” said Cavazos. “In addition, stronger demand will emerge from medical devices. Significant opportunities will come from high frequencies changing the face of the electronic T&M market over the next decade.”

Global Electronic Test and Measurement, Forecast to 2022 is the latest addition to Frost & Sullivan’s Measurement & Instrumentation research and analysis available through the Frost & Sullivan Leadership Council, which helps organizations identify a continuous flow of growth opportunities to succeed in an unpredictable future.