Printed Circuit Board Connectors Market Report

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

Technavio’s latest report on the global printed circuit board (PCB) connectors market provides an analysis of the most important trends expected to impact the market outlook from 2017-2021. Technavio defines an emerging trend as a factor that has the potential to significantly impact the market and contribute to its growth or decline.

Anju Ajaykumar, a lead research analyst from Technavio, specializing in research on engineering tools sector, says, “The high growth in the mobile device market for devices like smartphones and tablets is resulting in a simultaneous increase in the demand for rigid PCBs. This is leading to intense price wars among the vendors and hence, a drop in the profit margins.”

The PCB connectors market is expected to grow steadily during the forecast period, owing to the growth of the electronics industry along with advances in semiconductor technology. Technavio analysts expect the electronics industry to grow at an average rate of 5% during the forecast period. Increased collaboration between PCB designers and electronic manufacturing service (EMS) vendors has led to the development of cost-effective solutions, besides reducing design risks in electronics and electrical applications.

Technavio’s sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

The top three emerging trends driving the global PCB connectors market according to Technavio heavy industry research analysts are:

Rise in adoption of automotive electronics

Increased demand for automotive electronics is expected to drive the global PCB connectors market during the forecast period. Electronic components used in vehicles necessitate the use of automotive connectors for proper functioning. Automotive electronics represent 30%-35% of the total manufacturing costs of a vehicle. The use of automotive electronics has increased because of the growing demand for advanced systems such as premium audio systems, advanced driver assistance systems, on-board diagnostic systems, infotainment systems, and electronic transmission.

“Stringent carbon emission standards, fuel economy standards, and growing safety concerns among consumers will also drive the demand for emission sensors and onboard diagnostics, thus increasing the need for automotive connectors,” according to Anju.

Advanced connector technology

Manufacturers and distributors continue to focus on the growing need for advanced connector technology. They keep a close watch on factors and technologies that are driving technical advances in connectors. One of the fundamental advances that most connector manufacturers are focusing on is the semiconductor technology used in the production of connectors.

Semiconductor technology ensures high-speed data communication in devices. For instance, Inova Semiconductors, a German-based company, is engaged in manufacturing advanced semiconductors and has launched the APIX2 multichannel SerDes solution for use in various applications in automotive connector systems.

Increased sourcing from APAC

Sourcing products from developing countries have significantly increased in the past decade. Imports from low-cost countries in APAC, such as China and India, have had a substantial impact on the profit margins of traditional suppliers in Europe and North America. This has established cost-competitiveness in the market for both local and global players.

There has been a significant shift in the top ten connector manufacturers geographically in the last 25 years. In the 1980s, North America was the leader, accounting for all the top ten connector manufacturers globally. However, in 2015, APAC accounted for the most number of top connector manufacturers. APAC has six of the top ten connector manufacturers, while North America accounts for four.

About Technavio

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies.