San Jose, California (PRWEB) March 13, 2012

Follow us on LinkedIn Deceptively simple looking, connectors represent complex electrical systems designed to ensure signal/power integrity and stability including protecting the transmission of an electrical signal. The market for electronic connectors essentially remains technology driven with trends in design, material section, fabrication and assembly, dictated by technology changes in the electronics industry. Technology developments, over the decades, have resulted in incremental performance improvements making connectors capable of operating in the harshest of working environments. Harsh environment connectors will continue to drive market opportunities in the marketplace in the upcoming years, given the fact that continuous functioning of infrastructure equipment, automobiles, aircrafts, medical equipment/devices such as life-saving defibrillators, energy generation equipment, among others, will always remain of prime importance and concern.

Following the decline witnessed during the 2007-2009 recession, the electronic connectors market rebounded in the year 2010 in sync with resurgence in demand from key end-use markets. The continuing economic uncertainties in United States, Europe and Japan is nevertheless keeping the electronic components supply chain pressurized, with inventory of electronic components vacillating between being an asset and liability. In the year 2011, against the background of rebounding demand, the supply chain remained stressed with raw supply shortages stemming from Japan as a result of the tsunami earthquake and the nuclear power plant crisis, which resulted in large scale destruction of manufacturing facilities, and which also severely crippled the countrys access to infrastructure and logistics. The magnitude of the concern caused can be put into perspective by the fact that Japanese manufacturers have a dominant position in the global supply chain of several electronic component technologies.

In Europe, the electronic component supply chain has had a roller coaster ride with the market hitting the steepest trough in the years 2008 and 2009 when the heat of the recession practically dried up inventory in the supply chain as manufacturers aggressively followed lean manufacturing practices to cope with the depressed demand for electronic goods in the marketplace. The year 2010 witnessed strong rebound with bullish market sentiments triggering the steepest rise in inventory levels in the distribution market. The increase in inventory holding levels was also partially triggered by fears of possible disruptions in raw material/components supply from Japan in the post tsunami and earthquake period. As a result, manufacturers of industrial equipment, automobiles expanded their inventories over-proportionally resulting in a spurt in new orders for electronic connectors, which remain a critical part of the electronic component supply chain. In the upcoming years, deceleration in inventory stocking levels will impact new orders both as a result of the markets natural inventory correction trend and by the changing economic outlook caused by the ongoing European debt crisis.

Although Europes debt crisis triggering yet another downturn in the global electronics cycle is currently not seen as a possibility, the threat of contagion of the Euro crisis into the US economy, however, remains compelling in the event of a possible worsening of the euro crisis within France, Italy and Germany. Currently however, market sentiments are being upheld by efforts to keep money flowing through the Europes financial arteries as governments plan bailout funds. Although these short-term solutions do not provide a permanent solution to the crisis and in reality indicates deferring of conclusive, corrective action, market sentiments are nevertheless encouraged. Despite the bullish outlook, the domestic European electronics industry nevertheless remains nervous over the play out of the sovereign debt crisis drama and is facing immediate hurdles, such as, credit restrictions, consumer indecisiveness, slower import growth, fears of slowing consumer spends, and possible collapse of consumer confidence in the event of escalation in the severity of the crisis.

Performance of key end-user industries for electronic connectors in Europes deficit ridden countries is currently hanging in balance with demand in automotive, computers, industrial, consumer electronics, transportation and aerospace and defense, showing signs of diminishing. The automotive end-use sector in the region is already slumping amidst the crisis. Plagued by high national debts and the ensuing downward pressure on economic growth, consumers buying power is declining as is reflected in the softening of retail sales of passenger cars in Europes deficit countries. The decline in passenger car sales coupled with planned production cuts backs at European factories, is expected to result in demand for electronic connectors in the domestic European auto industry losing momentum in the year 2012.

In the industrial and manufacturing sector in Europe, the healthy recovery made so far from the 2007-2009 recession is now losing steam. EUs industrial sentiment currently remains torn between fears and optimism, given the mixed signals emanating from the volatile and weak manufacturing data in Spain and Italy and the encouraging industrial performance in Germany supported by strong export demand. In the defense/military end-use sector in Europe, where opportunities critically hinge upon the spending outlook of governments, the growing debate over widening government deficits and need for spending cuts, is likely to result in possible shrinkage in defense budgets. This thereby will reverse the prolonged period of high military spending which largely helped the sector to remain resilient through the 2007-2009 recession.

As stated by the new market research report on Electronic Connectors, Asia-Pacific represents the most prominent regional market with dollar sales from the region waxing at a CAGR of about 9.0% over the analysis period. Steady economic growth, stronger production activities across key end-use industries, robust demand for consumer electronics and automobiles, undeterred pace of industrialization, mass exodus of automotive and electronics manufacturing activity to developing countries such as China and India, among others, remain truly powerful drivers capable of fuelling growth in the region. Telecommunications industry represents the fastest growing end-use market for electronic connectors. Growth in demand from telecom industry especially for multifiber connectors will be driven by increase in adoption of 40/100 GbE network technologies.

Key players in this marketplace include 3M, ABB Group, Amphenol Corporation, Anderson Power Products, AVX Corporation, Cinch Connectors, Dai-ichi Seiko Co., Ltd., DDK Ltd., Delphi Connection Systems, ERNI Electronics GmbH, FCI SA, Foxconn Electronics Inc., HARTING Electronics GmbH & Co., KG, Hirose Electric Europe B.V., Honda Connectors, Inc., Hosiden Corporation, HUBER+SUHNER Group, ITT Interconnect Solutions, JAE Electronics, Inc., JST Mfg Co Ltd., Lear Corporation, LEMO SA, Leoco Corporation, Lumberg Connect GmbH, Methode Electronics, Inc., Molex Incorporated, Preci-Dip Durtal SA, Radiall Group, Rosenberger Hoch GmbH & Co., KG, Smiths Interconnect, Sumitomo Wiring Systems, Ltd., TE Connectivity Ltd., and Yazaki Corporation, among others.

The research report titled Electronic Connectors: A Global Strategic Business Report announced by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., provides a review of noteworthy market trends, growth drivers and challenges. The report in addition also enumerates recent acquisitions, and other strategic industry activities. The report offers market estimates and projections across product segments, such as, Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Connectors, Rectangular I/O Connectors, Circular Connectors, RF Coaxial Connectors and othe