MCU market likely to reach $28.49 billion globally in 2018

USA: According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research "Microcontrollers (MCU) Market by Product (8-bit, 16-bit, 32-bit) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth and Forecast, 2012 - 2018", the demand for microcontrollers was 10.64 billion units in 2011, and is expected to reach over 29 billion units in 2018, growing at a CAGR of 16 percent from 2012 to 2018.

In terms of revenue, the market was valued at $15.7 billion in 2011, and is expected to reach $28.49 billion in 2018, growing at a CAGR of 9 percent from 2012 to 2018.

High growth of the automotive industry is expected to positively impact microcontroller demand, as a result of the large number of MCUs used in vehicles. Microcontrollers are used in automotives for purposes ranging from safety to infotainment, which include airbag control and on-board communication among others.

In addition, increasing penetration of healthcare equipment such as blood pressure monitors, and portable glucometers which employ microcontrollers is also expected to aid in market growth. However, the sheer number of participants in the industry vying for market share is expected to hinder the market over the forecast period.

The automotive industry dominated the global market, accounting for over 32 percent of the overall MCU demand in 2011. MCU demand for industrial applications is expected to reach 8.6 billion units by 2018.
The demand for 32-bit MCUs is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.2 percent from 2012 to 2018. 8-bit MCUs dominated market demand, with over 40% penetration in the global market in 2011.

Asia Pacific was the market leader, and accounted for over 35 percent of global revenue share in 2011. It is expected to be the largest and fastest growing market, and its revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of 9.2 percent from 2012 to 2018.