Where\'s the Growth in MEMS in the Post-Recession Economy?

PITTSBURGH, Apr 06, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- MEMS growth continues to outpace nearly all other segments of the electronics industry, claim market researchers. The question is "why?" Executives from leading companies in the MEMS supply chain--Analog Devices, Applied Materials, Bosch Sensortec, Coventor and Kionix--say that continued acceptance of MEMS, or microelectromechanical systems, stems from a variety of reasons. Growth has been spurred by high-volume manufacturing enabled by more abundant and efficient design tools and processes. At the upcoming Globalpress Electronics Summit panel, "MEMS is Hot," top MEMS companies will explore the reasons why MEMS is growing so rapidly in a wide range of established and emerging markets.

With an overall MEMS market expected to grow from $8 billion+ in 2010 to $18 billion in 2015, according to market analyst firm Yole Developpement, MEMS is no longer an "exotic technology." Rather it is being deployed in the hundreds of millions in high-volume consumer applications such as mobile handsets, digital cameras, set-top boxes and game consoles. Market analyst firm iSuppli predicts a 7.6% CAGR in these consumer markets through 2013.

MEMS panel moderator Stephan Ohr, director of research, analog semiconductors and power management devices, Gartner, claims that we must in part thank the automotive industry for bringing MEMS to the mass market: "The automotive market has helped to solve the scalability problem with MEMS manufacturing. Designers have efficiently repurposed MEMS sensors and accelerometers, originally designed for cars, for consumer applications--at price points that major OEMs like Apple, Nintendo and Samsung find affordable." Ohr added that "with manufacturing scale in place, the vision of building economical, highly-intelligent sensors in tiny, power-efficient packages is that much closer to everyday reality."

Karen Lightman, managing director of MEMS Industry Group (MIG), the industry organization co-hosting the MEMS panel with Globalpress, added, "Until recently, accelerometers and gravitational (G-Force) sensors have comprised the bulk of MEMS deployments, including airbag triggers in automotive safety systems and read/write head retractors in portable hard disk drives. The use of motion sensors as swing simulators in gaming peripherals like the Nintendo Wii is a consequence of the new high-volume manufacturing capability of the MEMS industry, and marks a new era in consumer understanding and acceptance of MEMS technology. I am very pleased that for a second year in a row, MIG has helped to bring a MEMS panel that explores MEMS' economic power and potential to the Globalpress Electronics Summit."

MEMS is Hot at Globalpress

The panel, "MEMS is HOT: How MEMS is Fueling Growth in the Post-recession Economy," will be held April 27, 2010 from 9:15 -- 10:30 a.m. at the Globalpress Electronics Summit. Panelists will include:

-- Mark Martin, vice president, MEMS/Sensor Group, Analog Devices, Inc.

-- Jack Blaha, head of 200mm products & enhancements, Applied Global Services group, Applied Materials, Inc.

-- Dr. Frank Melzer, CEO, Bosch Sensortec GmbH

-- Mike Jamiolkowski, president & CEO, Coventor

-- Eric Eisenhut, vice president, sales and marketing, Kionix

Stephan Ohr, director of research, analog semiconductors and power management devices, Gartner, will moderate the panel.

Irmgard Lafrentz, president and founder of Globalpress Connection, anticipates an eager reception for the MEMS panel: "MEMS is increasingly important in global markets, making it particularly compelling subject matter for our audience of international electronics media. We are delighted that our collaboration with MEMS Industry Group has produced a high-caliber panel which should fully engage the attending international journalists."

About Globalpress Electronics Summit

The annual Globalpress Electronics Summit allows C-level electronics executives to communicate with millions of design engineers and managers who read European and Asian trade and business publications--without having to travel abroad. Every year, outlets such as CompoTech Asia, EDN China, Electronics Weekly, La Tribune, Markt & Technik and Nikkei Electronics Asia generate hundreds of articles as a result of the Summit's press briefings, panel discussions and networking events. About a dozen members of the U.S. media also attend this press event. [!--empirenews.page--]

The Globalpress Electronics Summit takes place April 26-29, 2010 at the Chaminade Resort, Santa Cruz, CA. More information is available by calling 408.246.6840 ext. 101, or visiting: www.globalpresspr.com.

About MEMS Industry Group

MEMS Industry Group (MIG) is the leading trade association advancing MEMS across global markets. MIG enables the exchange of non-proprietary information among members; provides reliable industry data that furthers the development of technology; and works toward the greater commercial development and use of MEMS and MEMS-enabled devices. Close to 80 companies comprise MIG, including Analog Devices, Applied Materials, GE, Honeywell, Intel, Midwest Microdevices, Nanoshift LLC, Plasma Therm LLC, Proteus Biomedical, and Texas Instruments. For more information, visit www.memsindustrygroup.org.

All product and company names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

SOURCE: MEMS Industry Group

MEMS Industry Group 
Karen Lightman, 412-390-1644 
klightman@memsindustrygroup.org 
or 
Vetrano Communications 
Maria Vetrano, 617-876-2770 
releases@vetrano.com 
or 
Globalpress Connection, Inc. 
Irmgard Lafrentz, 408-246-6840 Ext. 101 
irmgard@globalpresspr.com