According to a new technical market-research report entitled The Market for Thermal Management Technologies, BCC Research states the global market for thermal management was worth $6.1 billion last year. The researcher expects that market to increase to $6.8 billion this year and $11.1 billion by the end of 2013, a compound annual growth rate of 10.3 percent.
The development of the thermal management industry is one of the most interesting aspects of the innovation in the high-technology industry, BCC says. As pressure to achieve higher levels of device integration while reducing cost, size, and complexity continues, the issue of managing heat and power dissipation has become increasingly significant.
Thermal management hardware, including fans and blowers and heat sinks, accounts for more than 80 percent of the total thermal management market. The other main thermal management product segments-software, interface materials, and substrates-each account for about 4 to 6 percent of the market.
The largest end markets for thermal management technologies last year were the computer industry, with 57 percent of total revenues; telecommunications, accounting for 16 percent; and industrial/military electronics, claiming 9 percent. By 2013, medical and office electronics should have moved into a tie for second place with telecommunications, each with 12 percent market share, followed by consumer electronics at 8 percent.
From a geographical standpoint, the Americas (United States and Latin America) will maintain its number-one position throughout the period under review, with a market share of just under 40 percent. The Asia-Pacific region will follow with 23 to 24 percent; with the exception of Japan, the Asia-Pacific countries are not only the second-largest market in absolute terms, but also have the highest projected growth rate.
Read a recent article about thermal management within data center enclosures.
