Market Environment
Growth forecasts for the printed circuit board industry
In 2009 the global market for printed circuit boards delined by 16.7%. For 2010 recovery in development is expected with an average annual growth of 10.7%, followed by 10.7% in 2011 and 9.6% in 2012. The main growth drivers will be silicon platform, HDI microvia and flexible printed circuit boards.
Overall, the global printed circuit board market shrank from USD 48 billion in 2008 to USD 40 billion in 2009. Growth trends varied from region to region: whereas the markets in Asia and the USA continued to contract slightly, European revenues halved in value.
Volume production in Asia, speciality and quick turnaround business in Europe
Continued heavy downward pressure on prices from Asian competitors means that volume production is increasingly relocating to Asia. In 2008 almost 63% of all circuit boards were manufactured in Asia (not including Japan), more than half of them in China. By 2013 China’s share is expected to increase to about 71%. In Europe, design and prototyping business, and specialist and niche markets such as the automobile industry and industrial and medical technologies offer the greatest potential for growth - a market being expected to generate turnovers of about USD 2.2 billion in 2013.