About 150 M. Automotive Safety Systems Installed in 2016: ABI Research

Taipei, June 23, 2011 (CENS)--Alongside rising diversification of propulsion systems, automotive safety systems are found in more vehicles, and shipments of MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) crucial to operation are increasing even faster, according to ABI Research.

ABI, specializing in global connectivity and emerging technology, said that nearly 100 million airbags, tire pressure monitoring, and ESP (Electronic Stability Program) safety systems that use MEMS, containing over 300 million MEMS chips, were shipped worldwide during 2010.

By 2016, about 150 million systems will likely be installed, with the number of MEMS contained to have rocketed to over 830 million, the company forecasts.

Justifying such difference, ABI director Peter Cooney said, "Safety systems are becoming more advanced and complex, with each new system containing more sensors than previous generations."

MEMS generally are accelerometers, pressure sensors, and gyroscopes.

A trend is towards multi-sensor integration, with several sensors built on a single chip, with another being multi-tasking or make a single MEMS do double or triple duty. "Sensor integration will negatively impact MEMS sensor market growth, which will also be pressured by increasing competition," said Cooney. "The single, overriding driver of the automotive MEMS and safety systems market is government mandates, as shown by the American example with tire pressure monitoring systems that generated big gains for MEMS suppliers."

MEMS suppliers to the automotive market are currently few, ABI said. This is no market for startups: it's difficult to enter and deep pockets are required. But profits can be significant for those that succeed.